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'Avoid leaving the US or else...': Apple and Google issue stark warning to H-1B visa workers
Tech companies are warning employees on temporary visas about significant backlogs in visa stamping, advising against nonessential international travel.
Major US technology companies are advising employees working on H-1B and other temporary work visas to postpone international travel. They are warning that growing visa processing delays could leave them unable to return to the United States for months, according to Newsweek.
The guidance, circulated internally by corporate legal teams and immigration law firms, comes as foreign workers consider holiday travel and year-end trips abroad. Employers have cautioned that visa stamping appointments at US embassies and consulates remain severely backlogged in several countries.
Why companies are issuing warnings
Internal memos reviewed by Business Insider and NPR show that immigration law firms working with major tech firms flagged the risk of lengthy waits outside the US for employees who travel without valid visa stamps.
“We recommend avoiding international travel at this time as you risk an extended stay outside of the US,” Berry Appleman & Leiden, an immigration law firm that works with Google, wrote in guidance to staff.
Also Read: US revokes 85,000 visas since January as Trump administration ramps up immigration crackdown
Fragomen, which advises Apple, issued similar warnings, telling employees: “Given the recent updates and the possibility of unpredictable, extended delays when returning to the US, we strongly recommend that employees without a valid H-1B visa stamp avoid international travel for now.”
Consulate backlogs and tighter scrutiny
The H-1B visa program requires workers to obtain a visa stamp at a US embassy or consulate abroad if they leave the country and seek reentry.
Legal experts say appointment delays at some diplomatic posts now stretch as long as 12 months, significantly raising the risk of workers being stuck overseas.
“This is a valid concern, especially because we have seen how H-1B appointments are postponed in India en masse due to the new social media vetting guidelines,” Düden Freeman, a former US diplomat and founder of Visas 101, told Newsweek. She noted that the problem primarily affects workers with approved petitions who are already employed in the US but need a visa stamp to return.
Read More: 'Biggest mess we've seen': Immigration lawyers on Indians stranded due to H-1B visa renewal delay
“It’s no surprise that companies are advising their workers to not leave the United States because it may possibly be months before they are able to get back in,” Freeman added.
India cancellations
Immigration lawyers cited by Newsweek said the US State Department has temporarily suspended a number of H-1B visa appointments in India, attributing the move to operational limits and the rollout of expanded social media screening. The cancellations have worsened existing backlogs and increased uncertainty for visa holders planning travel.
Employees have been advised to consult immigration attorneys before making any travel plans and to postpone nonessential trips whenever possible.
The advisories come as the Trump administration continues to roll out stricter immigration enforcement measures, including expanded background checks, higher application fees, and broader reviews of applicants’ digital and social media histories.
