ET, has created a sudden scramble that could disrupt global mobility for some of the most in-demand workers in Silicon Valley and Wall Street. Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and JPMorgan Chase issued late-night guidance instructing H-1B workers in the U.S. to avoid international travel and those abroad to return immediately. Microsoft employees received a memo urging them to "stay put for the foreseeable future," acknowledging that the order "may not leave much time to make travel arrangements." The cost represents a dramatic escalation from the current process, where fees amount to only a few thousand dollars over the three- to six-year duration of an H-1B visa. The U.S. issues 65,000 H-1B visas annually, plus 20,000 for applicants with advanced degrees, with India accounting for 71% of beneficiaries and China roughly 12%.