An Indian-origin American woman’s Roman holiday took an unexpected turn after her boyfriend abruptly cut their vacation and left for the United States after President Donald Trump imposed a $100,000 fee on H-1B visa holders. Rish shared an Instagram reel describing the chaotic moment her boyfriend had to leave an Italian pasta-making class mid-session to catch a flight back to the US. The incident unfolded after a newly signed executive order imposed a $100,000 fee for certain H-1B visa petitions, sparking panic among visa holders. “Crazy turn of events. My boyfriend had to get up out of our Italian pasta-making class in Rome. Leave. I kid you not, leave. Not the class. Leave Rome," Rish said in the video. She explained that the sudden move was due to the timing of the new visa rule. “Because of the whole H1B $100,000 visa situation that's going to affect Saturday at midnight. And it's literally Saturday, midday in Rome right now," Rish added. Rish added that her boyfriend quickly booked “the next flight to anywhere near the US” in an attempt to get back before the rule came into effect on September 21. Despite the disruption, she kept a level head. “It’ll be fine. Italian vacations can happen again, like, not stressed. But it does make me wonder.” she said. “Number one, people that can't just drop off their hat, buy a ticket back. Or number two, too far away in a different country to make it back in time. Who just like had their entire world flipped upside down overnight," she continued. Watch the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Life of RGR (@lifeofrgr) The video quickly caught the Internet's attention, amassing an array of reactions. "It happening this quickly was definitely intentional! Glad he could make it back in time though," a user wrote. "Mad respect to how calm you are. I think I'd have been freaking out. Hope you enjoy the rest of your holiday and that things are (eventually) fine for your partner," another user commented. "Literally took the first flight out of Munich to land before the cutoff only to learn that it did not impact existing visa holders. Absolutely insane!" a third user reacted. The sudden announcement triggered widespread confusion and urgency among H-1B visa holders, particularly in the Indian community, which makes up over 70 per cent of all H-1B visa recipients, AP reported. Immigration lawyers reported a flood of calls from anxious clients trying to determine the impact on their applications and travel plans. Later in the day, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a clarification on X, stating, “This is not an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition.”
