Washington DC, 20 Sept

Amid the looming implementation of US President Donald Trump's overhaul of the H-1B visa programme, tech giants Amazon and Microsoft on Saturday advised their foreign employees holding H-1B and H-4 visas to immediately return to the United States and urged the H-1B holders to stay in the US "for the foreseeable future", according to internal communications seen by Reuters.

In internal notes circulated to staff, Amazon urged H1B visa holders currently in the United States to remain in the country and advised those outside the US to return before the deadline of 21 September, when the Trump administration's new rules are set to take effect.

"If you have H-1B status and are in the US, stay in the country for now," Amazon stated in a note.

"We recommend H-1B and H-4 visa holders return to the US before 12:00 AM EDT on September 21," the company added.

Similarly, Microsoft issued an internal email advising caution, stating that H1B and H4 visa holders should stay in the US for the foreseeable future and strongly recommended they return before the deadline.

"H-1B visa holders should stay in the US for the foreseeable future," Microsoft said in its email.

"We also recommend H-4 visa holders remain in the US. We strongly recommend that all H-1B and H-4 visa holders return to the US by tomorrow, before the deadline," it added.

The warnings come in response to US President Donald Trump's new presidential proclamation titled "Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers", imposing a USD 100,000 annual fee on H-1B visa applications. The measure, effective from 21 September, aims to combat what the administration calls widespread abuse of the H1B programme, particularly by IT outsourcing firms accused of displacing American workers and suppressing wages.

The proclamation argues that the original purpose of H1B, to bring in highly skilled foreign talent, has been distorted, with the administration claiming that low-wage, entry-level H1B hires have harmed American graduates and also highlights national security concerns, pointing to investigations into visa fraud and money laundering involving companies that rely heavily on the programme.

As per the order, employers must now provide proof of payment when filing H1B petitions, with enforcement overseen by the US Departments of State and Homeland Security. Limited exemptions are available for cases deemed in the national interest.