- Pro
H-1B visa holders told to hold off on travel outside of the US
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Share
Share by:
- Copy link
- X
- Threads
- Google and Apple lawyers are warning H-1B visa holders not to leave the US for the time being
- Returning to the country could result in lengthy delays and postponed appointments
- State Department says thorough vetting takes priority over speed
Google and Apple have reportedly started to warn some visa-holding employees not to travel outside of the US, because the re-entry processing could take longer than expected.
The news, initially reported by Business Insider, comes from the companies' respective law firms, BAL Immigration Law (Google) and Fragomen (Apple).
Employees who need a new H-1B visa stamp are being urged not to travel abroad due to unpredictable extended delays which could pose the risk of being stranded abroad. The H-1B visa allows US employers to hire skilled foreign professionals for up to three years, or six years with extensions.
You may like-
The US could soon ask tourists to reveal their last five years on social media
-
US gov wants Google and Apple to take down websites tracking ICE and friends
-
Google is cutting back on remote work, adds new limits to "work from anywhere" policy
H-1B visa workers in the US told not to leave the US for now
The delays have been linked to enhanced visa vetting, with Trump's new social media screening requirement affecting H-1B workers, students and more.
"Given the recent updates and the possibility of unpredictable, extended delays when 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 visas in December are believed to have had appointments canceled or rescheduled, with some US embassies 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 thoroughly vetting each visa case above all else," a spokesperson for the Department of State told Business Insider.
Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletterContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.The news comes some months after the White House announced a $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications, with an annual cap of 85,000 (generating up to $8.5 billion for the US). In 2024, Google and Microsoft both accounted for 5,500-5,700 each, with Apple coming in with just shy of 3,900 applications, per the report.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.
TOPICS Apple Google
Craig HaleWith several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!
Show More CommentsYou must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
Logout Read more
The US could soon ask tourists to reveal their last five years on social media
US gov wants Google and Apple to take down websites tracking ICE and friends
Google is cutting back on remote work, adds new limits to "work from anywhere" policy
Experts "deeply concerned" by India's plan to force all smartphones to run pre-installed security app
Is the US afraid of Huawei? Reports point to the Ascend 910C accelerator’s performance to explain the surprising reversal of Nvidia's H200 AI GPU ban on China
Trump set to allow Nvidia H200 chips to be exported to China
Latest in Pro
Large External SSDs are now cheaper than internal ones as 4TB SATA SSD face extinction due to negligible price difference
HPE tells customers to patch OneView immediately as top-level security flaw spotted
Motherboards from Gigabyte, MSI, ASUS, ASRock at risk from new UEFI flaw attack - here's what we know
Trump’s new $900 billion Pentagon funding plan includes ‘enhanced cybersecurity protections’ for Cyber Command - here’s what we know
Amazon is reportedly being deluged with North Korean job applicants eager to break inside its walls
WatchGuard Firebox OS forced to patch worrying security flaw, so update now
Latest in News
Mullvad VPN boosts WireGuard speeds and stability with new Rust-based engine
This gift-wrapping robot is quite funny, actually
Federal judge blocks Louisiana’s social media age verification law – here's why
'We put the most pressure on ourselves' — Tomb Raider studio head on remaking one of the most iconic games of all time
Watch out – RAM rip-offs are now in vogue, so here's how to avoid them
Samsung's new fridge unit is going to have Google Gemini AI on board
LATEST ARTICLES- 1Gemini 3 Flash is smart — but when it doesn’t know, it makes stuff up anyway
- 2Watch out, Nvidia - Qualcomm acquires Alphawave Semi in latest addition to its AI data center push
- 3TechRadar Gaming's favorite gaming devices of 2025: personal picks from all the year's gear
- 4Large External SSDs are now cheaper than internal ones as 4TB SATA SSD face extinction due to negligible price difference
- 5Arm sheds billions in market capitalization after Qualcomm hints at RISC-V adoption with Ventara Micro acquisition