Google advises employees to avoid international travel:Return to US could be delayed by 1 year, H-1B Visa holders most affected

Google has prohibited some of its employees from international travel who are on US visas. This is because of significant delays in visa stamping appointments at US embassies and consulates. An internal memo states that in some locations, this delay has reached up to 12 months. If employees travel abroad, it may take a long time to return to the United States. This advice is especially for H-1B visa holders, which is widely used in the tech industry. What the memo said? The company’s external immigration law firm BAL Immigration Law sent this memo on December 18. It states that visa stamping appointment waiting times at many US embassies and consulates have extended to 12 months. If visa stamping is required, leaving the country could be risky. Because there is a risk of being stuck outside for a long time. This affects H-1B, H-4, F, J, and M visas. Google has not yet made any official comment on this. What is the main reason for the delay? The Trump administration has increased the waiting period for H-1B visa applicants this month. This includes screening of social media accounts. The State Department has said that thorough investigation of each case is now being prioritized. Under the new policy, online presence review is being conducted, which is causing appointments to be cancelled and new dates are being given until March 2026. This problem is more severe in countries like India, Ireland and Vietnam. Similar advice was given earlier too! In September also, Google’s parent company Alphabet had asked employees to avoid international travel. At that time, H-1B visa holders were advised to stay in America only. Now the same situation has arisen again. This year, the Trump administration has also imposed a $100,000 fee on new H-1B applications, which has put more pressure on the program. What is H-1B visa and why it’s important? H-1B visa is for highly skilled workers, which tech companies like Google, Microsoft use. Most employees come from India and China. This visa is for 3 years and can be extended. But when going abroad, a new stamp is required, which has now become difficult. Thousands of employees in the tech sector are affected by this. What can happen next? Delays could increase further as the new waiting policy is being fully implemented. Many appointments have already been cancelled. Staff are advised to cancel travel plans unless necessary. Immigration experts say the situation could get tighter in the coming months. ​