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   Google and Apple employees on US visas apparently told to avoid international   
   travel   
      
   Date:   
   Mon, 22 Dec 2025 13:05:00 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   Big Tech lawyers are warning employees not to leave the US, or they could    
   face major delays re-entering.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   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.   
      
   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 .    
      
   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.    
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/pro/google-and-apple-employees-on-us-visas-apparentl   
   y-told-to-avoid-international-travel   
      
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