Google and Apple Warn H-1B Staff to Avoid Overseas Travel
Alphabet Inc.’s Google has cautioned its foreign-born employees on H-1B visa against international travel.
The warning, issued in late December 2025, highlights a “severe and unpredictable” backlog in U.S. visa stamping that risks leaving critical tech talent stranded outside the United States for up to a year.
The Internal Directive at Google: Stay Put
Google’s external immigration counsel, BAL Immigration Law, disseminated the advisory.
In the memo, the firm warned staff that U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide are currently experiencing significant delays for visa stamping appointments, with some regions reporting wait times of up to 12 months.
The firm specifically targeted the guidance at employees who are currently in the U.S. but would require a new physical visa stamp to re-enter the country after a trip abroad.
“Please be aware that some U.S. Embassies and Consulates are experiencing significant visa stamping appointment delays,” the memo read, emphasizing that any international travel at this time carries the “risk of an extended stay outside the U.S.“
The Root Cause: Enhanced Social Media Vetting
The sudden spike in processing times is largely attributed to a new, rigorous “online presence review” policy enforced by the U.S. Department of State as of mid-December 2025.
Under these rules, consular officers are now required to conduct a detailed screening of an applicant’s social media activity and digital history spanning the last five years.
A spokesperson for the State Department confirmed the shift in priorities, stating that while the previous emphasis was on speed and reducing wait times, embassies in high-volume regions like India are now “prioritizing thoroughly vetting each visa case above all else.”
This “vetting over velocity” approach has led to the abrupt cancellation of thousands of existing appointments, including those scheduled during the busy December holiday season.
Broad Impact on Google Workforce Across Visa Categories
While the H-1B visa—a staple for Google’s engineering and data science teams—is the most discussed, the advisory clarified that the delays affect a wide spectrum of non-immigrant categories, including:
- H-1B and H-4: Skilled workers and their legal dependents.
- F, J, and M: International students and exchange visitors.
- L-1: Intracompany transferees.
Industry-Wide Alarm
Google is not alone in its caution.
Tech peers including Apple, Microsoft, and ServiceNow have issued similar warnings.
Industry analysts suggest that these delays, combined with the recently introduced $100,000 fee for new H-1B applications, represent a “de facto” tightening of the U.S. border for high-skilled labor.
For Google, which applied for over 5,500 H-1B visas in the last fiscal year, the inability to move talent across borders threatens project continuity and global collaboration.
The company is reportedly exploring interim “work from anywhere” exceptions for those already stuck abroad, but it remains a temporary fix for a systemic bottleneck.
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