- Lawyers for Google and Apple warn H-1B visa holders not to leave the United States for the time being
- Returning to the country could result in long delays and postponed appointments
- State Department says thorough investigation takes priority over speed
Google and Apple have reportedly started warning some visa-holding employees not to travel outside the US, because re-entry processing could take longer than expected.
The news, initially reported by Insider business informationcomes from the companies’ respective law firms, BAL Immigration Law (Google) and Fragomen (Apple).
Employees who need a new H-1B visa stamp are urged not to travel abroad due to prolonged and unpredictable delays that could pose the risk of being stranded abroad. The H-1B visa allows U.S. employers to hire qualified foreign professionals for up to three years, or six years with extensions.
H-1B visa workers in US told not to leave US for now
Delays have been linked to increased visa screening, and Trump’s new social media screening requirement affects H-1B workers and students, among others.
“Given recent updates and the potential for long, unpredictable delays upon returning to the US, we strongly recommend that employees without a valid H-1B visa stamp avoid international travel for now,” Fragomen’s memo to Apple employees reads.
Hundreds of Indian professionals who traveled home to renew their visas in December are believed to have had their appointments canceled or rescheduled, and some US embassies are facing appointment delays of up to 12 months.
“While in the past the emphasis may have been on processing cases quickly and reducing wait times, our embassies and consulates around the world, including in India, are now prioritizing the thorough investigation of each visa case above all else,” a State Department spokesperson said. Insider business information.
The news comes a few months after the White House announced a $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications, with an annual limit of 85,000 (generating up to $8.5 billion for the United States). In 2024, Google and Microsoft accounted for between 5,500 and 5,700 each, and Apple came in with just under 3,900 apps, according to the report.
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