Tech giants tell some visa holders to avoid travel, embassies face year long delays

Google and Apple have warned some employees with U.S. work visas to avoid leaving the country after immigration advisers flagged lengthy delays for visa stamping appointments at U.S. embassies and consulates. The advisories, conveyed through the companies' immigration law firms and internal counsel, said applicants could face appointment backlogs stretching up to a year, creating a real risk of extended, unpredictable stays overseas.

A memo from BAL Immigration Law, which represents Google, stated, "Please be aware that some US Embassies and Consulates are experiencing significant visa stamping appointment delays, currently reported as up to 12 months," and warned employees they would "risk an extended stay outside the US." Fragomen, the law firm representing Apple, sent a similar memo to some visa holders urging avoidance of international travel and recommending that employees who need visa stamping for re entry remain in the United States. Apple also advised that "if travel cannot be postponed, employees should contact Apple Immigration and Fragomen in advance to discuss the risks."

The guidance affects workers and dependents in the visa categories most commonly used by technology employers, including H1B, H4, and other nonimmigrant visas such as F, J and M. H1B holders were singled out in internal advisories because the program is central to hiring in the sector and because many workers travel internationally for business or personal reasons during employment.

Immigration advisers and company communications attribute the surge in appointment delays largely to expanded vetting tied to a new social media screening requirement for visa applicants. That additional review has increased processing times at consular posts, officials said, compounding preexisting staffing and logistical strains at embassies. The net effect has been months long waits for interviews and stamping appointments in some locations.

The timing compounds other policy pressures on the H1B system. Earlier this year the federal government implemented a sweeping fee increase that included a reported new fee of one hundred thousand dollars for certain new applications, prompting legal pushback from states and advocacy groups. California has filed suit seeking to block the cost increase, a move that underscores growing political and legal uncertainty surrounding the program.

For employees, the practical consequences are acute. Without a valid visa stamp in a passport, a worker who departs the United States may be unable to secure a timely appointment to re enter, potentially missing work for weeks or months and complicating family arrangements. Companies face operational risks as vital staff and their dependents weigh travel for holidays, medical care, or urgent family matters against the prospect of being unable to return.

Human resources and immigration teams at major employers are urging affected workers to consult counsel before travel, to consider postponing nonessential trips, and to coordinate closely with company immigration specialists where travel is unavoidable. The unfolding consular delays spotlight how rapidly shifting federal screening policies can ripple through global businesses and individual lives, and they raise fresh questions about fairness and efficiency in a visa system that companies rely on to staff innovation hubs.