An Emirates flight from San Francisco to Dubai was delayed by more than three hours on Friday evening as news of President Trump’s executive order requiring skilled workers to pay $100,000 to obtain an H-1B visa caused panic onboard the double-deck Airbus A380.
As tech giants like Microsoft warned H-1B visa holders to delay travel outside the United States and urged those abroad to return as quickly as possible, it’s understandable that some passengers suddenly had second thoughts about following through with plans to visit loved ones in their home countries.
Given that over 70% of H-1B visas are currently held by Indian nationals, the majority of passengers who suddenly wanted off of Emirates flight EK226 to Dubai on September 19 were Indian nationals.
The 15-hour flight was due to depart San Francisco International Airport at 5:05 pm on Friday, just as rumored details of the Trump administration’s new H-1B visa requirements started to circulate.
“Ladies and gentleman, this is the Captain speaking. Under the current circumstances, obviously they are unprecedented for us here at Emirates, we are aware that a number of passengers do not wish to travel with us. That is perfectly fine. All we ask is that if you wish to offload yourself, you do so…”
Captain of Emirates flight EK226 on September 19
Worried passengers soon started to ask to be let off the plane, and as cabin crew and ground staff tried to manage the commotion and arrange for the passengers to be offloaded, the ground delay quickly stretched on for more than three hours.
In the end, the aircraft didn’t depart until 8:45 pm, meaning that the remaining passengers were on board for more than eighteen and a half hours – at least they had more space to stretch out after so many of their seatmates chose not to travel.
President Trump says he has introduced the $100,000 visa requirement over concerns that companies have been abusing the non-immigrant worker rules to replace American employees with cheaper workers from abroad.
This is especially true for the tech sector, the White House argues, with claims that some US businesses are deliberately laying off American employees to replace them with H-1B workers.
Initially, it was reported that the $100,000 payment would not only be required for new applicants but also existing H-1B visa holders if they attempt to return to the US from abroad.
There were even rumors that the $100,000 payment would be required annually.
The White House has, however, dismissed both of these claims, asserting that the $100,000 fee only applies to new applicants on a one-time basis. While that might be the case, it’s probably fair to say that the new fee will all but eliminate the H-1B visa as a viable way for foreign workers to enter the US.
