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US Visa Holders and A Possible Implication of Leaving The United State At The Moment
In what is fast becoming a serious source of anxiety for thousands of skilled foreign workers, some of America’s biggest and most influential technology companies are quietly urging employees on visas to stay put and not leave the United States unless absolutely necessary.
Google, Apple, Microsoft, and IT automation firm ServiceNow have all warned certain employees that traveling outside the U.S. right now could leave them stranded abroad for months, as American embassies and consulates grapple with unprecedented visa appointment delays. For workers whose careers, families, and lives are based in the U.S., the message is clear and unsettling: one routine international trip could turn into a prolonged and uncertain exile.
According to internal memos reviewed by Business Insider, immigration law firms representing these tech giants have advised visa-dependent staff to avoid international travel altogether if they require visa stamping to re-enter the U.S. The reason? Some embassies are reportedly booking visa appointments as far as 12 months out, a dramatic slowdown that has sent shockwaves through corporate America and the global workforce that sustains it.
Why Companies Are Sounding the Alarm
In a memo sent by BAL Immigration Law, which represents Google, employees were explicitly warned of the risks. “Please be aware that some U.S. Embassies and Consulates are experiencing significant visa stamping appointment delays, currently reported as up to 12 months,” the memo stated. The firm strongly recommended that employees avoid international travel, cautioning that they could face “an extended stay outside the U.S.”
Apple employees received a similar message from Fragomen, the immigration law firm that represents the company. The memo advised visa holders without a valid H-1B stamp to avoid travel due to “unpredictable, extended delays” in returning to the U.S. Employees who absolutely must travel were urged to consult Apple’s immigration team ahead of time to understand the risks.
Microsoft’s warning struck a more empathetic tone but carried the same urgency. In an internal memo, Jack Chen, Microsoft’s associate general counsel for immigration, acknowledged the distress of employees already stuck abroad because their visa appointments were rescheduled. “We know this is an anxious moment,” he wrote, adding that the company would provide guidance as soon as possible. For those still inside the U.S. and considering international travel, Microsoft advised employees to “strongly consider changing” their plans. The company also noted that employees stranded abroad face limitations on their ability to work remotely for their U.S. roles, further complicating the situation.
ServiceNow, meanwhile, has taken a slightly different approach, focusing on flexibility, but with limits. In a memo sent on December 18 by its Global Mobility Team, the company asked employees stuck abroad to immediately contact their managers to discuss whether exceptions to its 30-day “Work from Anywhere” policy might apply. While ServiceNow said it would review exceptions on a case-by-case basis, the message underscored a growing reality: even in an era of remote work, immigration rules can override corporate flexibility.
What’s Causing the Visa Bottleneck?
At the heart of these delays is a new and expanded social media screening requirement introduced for several visa categories, including H-1B workers, their dependents, international students, and exchange visitors. This enhanced vetting has significantly slowed routine visa processing across U.S. embassies worldwide. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State confirmed that the agency is now conducting “online presence reviews for applicants.” While applicants can request expedited appointments, those requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and approval is far from guaranteed.
The State Department also acknowledged that embassies may move appointments as resources shift, adding another layer of unpredictability. According to immigration firms, appointments in countries such as India, Ireland, and Vietnam have already been postponed, leaving applicants in limbo. “While in the past the emphasis may have been on processing cases quickly and reducing wait times, our embassies and consulates are now prioritizing thoroughly vetting each visa case above all else,” the spokesperson said.
How a Simple Trip Can Become a Nightmare
For many H-1B workers, traveling abroad to renew a visa stamp is usually a routine process. But enhanced vetting has transformed what was once a predictable procedure into a high-risk gamble.
Immigration attorney Jason Finkelman explains that while foreign nationals with valid visa stamps should generally be allowed back into the U.S., problems arise when a worker leaves the country and needs a new stamp, only to have their consular appointment canceled or delayed for months. “If travel isn’t essential right now, better to stay put,” Finkelman advised, noting that even minor delays can have cascading consequences for workers’ employment, housing, and legal status.
The H-1B visa program remains one of the most important pipelines for skilled talent into the U.S. economy. Capped at 85,000 new visas annually, the program is heavily relied upon by tech giants and multinational corporations.
During the 2024 fiscal year alone, Alphabet (Google’s parent company) applied for 5,537 H-1B visas, Apple for 3,880, Microsoft for 5,695, and ServiceNow for 578, according to publicly available government data. Companies like Amazon, Meta, and Google consistently top the list of H-1B users, highlighting just how central foreign talent is to America’s tech dominance. Yet under the Trump administration, the H-1B program has become a political flash point. The White House has framed the visas as a threat to American jobs, while critics and employers argue that stricter policies are making it harder and more expensive to hire the workers companies need to compete globally.
Notably, none of the company advisories provided clear guidance for employees who are already outside the U.S. with postponed appointments, a silence that only deepens the uncertainty many workers are facing. Google declined to comment publicly, while Apple, Microsoft, and ServiceNow did not immediately respond to media inquiries. For now, thousands of visa-holding professionals are left making deeply personal calculations: visit family abroad and risk being locked out of the U.S. for months, or stay put and delay life events indefinitely.
As enhanced vetting reshapes immigration realities, one thing is increasingly clear, for America’s foreign workers, even a short trip home is no longer a simple decision.
