Archive · 29 Sep 2025
Online Campaign Disrupts Travel Plans for Indian H-1B Visa Holders
Some people online started a campaign called 'Clog the Toilet' to mess with the travel plans of Indian workers with H-1B visas, which let them work in the US.
They did this by pretending to book a lot of airline tickets but not paying for them, making it hard for others to get seats and causing ticket prices to go up.
This happened after the government said there might be a big fee for new H-1B visas, which confused a lot of people.
The government later said the fee wouldn't apply to those already with visas, but the campaign had already caused problems.
The goal was to keep the visa holders in India by making travel difficult.
An online campaign called 'Clog the Toilet' targeted Indian H-1B visa holders.
The campaign originated from 4chan and fringe forums.
Participants booked flights without completing payment to block seats.
This caused higher airfares and limited seat availability on India–US routes.
The White House clarified that a new fee applied only to new visa applicants.
- Who
- Far-right users and online participants
- What
- Disrupted travel plans of Indian H-1B visa holders by clogging flight reservation systems.
- When
- Following a proposed $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa applications
- Where
- India–US flight routes, particularly to cities like New York, Newark, and Dallas
- Why
- As a response to the proposed fee for H-1B visas
- Campaign Name
- Clog the Toilet
- Target
- Indian H-1B visa holders returning to the US
- Origin
- 4chan and other fringe forums
- Action
- Booking flight tickets without payment
- Impact
- Inflated airfares, limited seat availability
- White House Clarification
- Fee applies to new visa applicants only