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U.S. President Donald Trump holds up the executive order raising the H-1B visa fee to $100,000 after signing it at the White House on September 19. / Source: Reuters, Yonhap News

The Trump administration’s sweeping visa fee hikes continue to reverberate across the globe. Just days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order raising the H-1B professional visa fee from $1,000 to $100,000 per applicant, U.S. authorities nearly doubled the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) fee from $21 to $40.

According to the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website on September 21, the new ESTA fee applies to travelers entering the United States without a visa for tourism or short-term business stays of up to 90 days. South Koreans have been eligible for ESTA since 2008.

The ESTA hike comes amid turmoil over the H-1B decision, which took effect at 12:01 a.m. on September 21. U.S. tech giants urged foreign employees holding H-1B visas to return before the deadline, prompting canceled trips, chaotic airport scenes, and a rush back to the United States. Reuters reported that many Indian and Chinese visa holders abandoned travel plans, with some sharing on social media how they were forced to fly back within hours of leaving.

Bloomberg noted the White House later clarified the $100,000 fee was a one-time charge for new visa applications, not an annual fee, and would not affect existing visa holders. Still, uncertainty over enforcement has rattled corporate America. Companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, and Goldman Sachs issued urgent advisories to employees.

Microsoft, in an internal memo, warned staff to remain in the U.S. for now, cautioning of “confusion at entry points” despite assurances from the administration. Goldman Sachs told H-1B employees and their families that the bank was working with lawyers to assess the situation.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reported that of nearly 400,000 H-1B approvals in fiscal year 2024, 71% were Indian and 12% Chinese. South Koreans accounted for about 1%, or nearly 4,000 approvals. Amazon led all firms with more than 10,000 allocations, followed by Tata Consultancy Services, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Google.

The fee shock has already disrupted international flights. Reuters reported an Emirates flight from San Francisco to Dubai was delayed over three hours when Indian passengers refused to fly, fearing they would be unable to re-enter the U.S.

With both ESTA and H-1B fees now sharply higher, businesses warn of a chilling effect on global talent mobility — particularly for Indian and Chinese professionals, who dominate the H-1B program.