United States tech firms and banks scrambled this weekend after President Donald Trump imposed new fees on H-1B visa applications, prompting panic among skilled workers from India and China.

Employers issued urgent memos instructing staff abroad to return before the rule took effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Sunday and to avoid further international travel.

The order, part of Trump’s broader immigration crackdown, initially caused confusion over whether it applied to existing visa holders, according to Reuters.

A White House official later clarified that the fees affect only new applicants, not renewals.

But the announcement still disrupted travel plans, with Indian and Chinese professionals cutting short vacations to ensure reentry into the U.S.

At San Francisco International Airport, an Emirates flight to Dubai was delayed for more than three hours after several passengers demanded to disembark.

One engineer said his wife, also on an H-1B visa, still chose to fly to India to care for her sick mother.

On Chinese social media platforms, visa holders compared the rush back to the U.S. with the scramble at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My feelings are a mix of disappointment, sadness, and frustration,” said one woman in a post with a user handle “Emily’s Life in NY.”

Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet and Goldman Sachs were among the companies that sent urgent travel advisories to employees after President Donald Trump moved to impose new fees on H-1B visas.

The measure marks the administration’s most prominent effort yet to reshape temporary employment visas, part of a broader immigration crackdown since Trump took office in January. Critics see the policy as protectionist, aimed at curbing legal immigration and tightening access to foreign labor.

The shift also contrasts with Trump’s earlier stance, when he sided with Tesla CEO Elon Musk in defending the H-1B program against opponents within his political base.

Administration officials argue the visa allows companies to hold down wages and that curbing it could free up jobs for American workers. Supporters counter that H-1B holders fill crucial talent gaps, especially in technology, and help U.S. firms remain globally competitive.