Google and Apple have told some of their employees to stay in the US. Both tech giants are telling employees who need a new visa stamp to get back into the country to stay away from traveling abroad for now.
This advice comes from internal legal memos. It is a response to unexpected, long, and inconsistent delays in the processing of visas at American embassies and consulates around the world.
Google and Apple issue employee travel warnings
According to Business Insider, law firms that work for Google and Apple sent the warnings. BAL Immigration Law, which works for Google, and Fragomen, which works for Apple, told employees who don’t have a valid H-1B visa stamp in their passport to put off any plans to leave the U.S.
The memos say that it is now dangerous to get a new visa stamp to come back. The Fragomen memo reportedly said, “Due to the recent changes and the possibility of long, unpredictable delays when returning to the U.S., we strongly advise employees without a valid H-1B visa stamp to avoid international travel for now.” Workers might be stuck outside the country for weeks or even months because of the situation.
According to a State Department representative who spoke with Business Insider, the top priority right now is “thoroughly vetting each visa case above all else.” The slowdowns are a result of this thorough review. Employees from India, a major source of talent for Google and Apple, find the situation particularly challenging.
According to Salon, new social media vetting requirements resulted in the cancellation or rescheduling of appointments for hundreds of Indian professionals who returned home in December to renew their visas.
Google and Apple have previously issued similar cautions. Both businesses and other significant tech employers released similar guidelines in September of last year. The White House’s announcement of a new $100,000 fee for some H-1B visa applications prompted the earlier warning, raising industry uncertainty.
In conclusion, Google and Apple have made it very clear that employees should not travel abroad unless their visa paperwork is up to date. With serious personal and professional repercussions at stake, this position draws attention to the increasing difficulties and complexities faced by highly skilled foreign workers and the businesses that rely on them.
