Lawyers urge H-1B visa holders to avoid travel

Lawyers are advising H-1B visa holders to think carefully before leaving the United States. A crackdown on immigration by the Trump administration has made re-entry more difficult and risky. Immigration attorney Kripa Upadhyay from Seattle has urged clients to cancel any overseas travel plans. She warns that even with visa approval from USCIS, a consular officer can still deny re-entry. The current environment at airports includes extensive security checks and questioning, which some travelers describe as "extreme vetting." Not all foreign countries, including India, face travel bans, but uncertainty continues to cause anxiety among visa holders. Other lawyers, like Snehal Batra from NPZ Law Group, report delays and complications in visa appointments, administrative processing, and security clearances. Rajiv S Khanna, another lawyer, suggests that if travel is unavoidable, both individuals and their employers should prepare backup plans in case they are not allowed back into the U.S. The overall sentiment is cautious as many face unpredictable immigration challenges.