Internet users on the forum 4chan attempted to block Indian workers from returning to the United States after President Donald Trump announced a major change to the H-1B visa programme, The Independent has reported. The online prank, called “Operation Clog the Toilet,” involved users reserving flight seats between India and the US without completing payment. According to posts on the site, this temporarily held the seats and made tickets more expensive for real passengers. “Indians are just waking up after the H-1B news. Want to keep them in India? Clog the flight reservation system!” one message on a related forum read, The Independent noted. Another user claimed: “I got 100 seats locked.” The disruption followed confusion over Trump’s announcement last Friday. The president said that new applicants for H-1B visas would be required to pay a $100,000 fee instead of entering a lottery system. Companies such as Amazon, Microsoft and JPMorgan reportedly advised staff to return quickly to the US or avoid foreign travel. Flight prices from New Delhi to New York doubled within hours, rising from about 40,000 rupees (£450) to 80,000 rupees (£900). Operation CLOG THE TOILET: Plan to overwhelm India-US flight reservation systems by initiating checkouts and leaving them open for 15 mins to lock out H1B holders. Focus on high-traffic routes, use multiple tabs, and automate with scripts. Spread the word! #OperationCLOG pic.twitter.com/oKHVbpyjaA— Surfer (@surfmaxing) September 20, 2025 The White House later clarified that the new fee would only apply to future applicants and not existing visa holders. But the initial statement had already caused confusion and a rush for tickets. The H-1B visa system, introduced in 1990, allows US firms to hire foreign workers with specialist skills. There are around 700,000 holders in the country today, plus about half a million dependents, The Independent reported, citing economist Stephen Brown. Trump has sent mixed messages on the scheme. He told The New York Post at the weekend that he had “always liked” H-1B visas, despite previously calling them “very bad” and “unfair” to US workers.
