Amazon Permits Remote Work For Employees Stuck In India As Visa Processing Slows: Report

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is permitting employees stranded in India due to visa delays to work remotely until early March.

Remote Work With Limitations

This decision to allow remote work comes amidst changes to the H-1B visa program under the Trump administration.

Employees can work remotely until March 2 if they were in India as of December 13 and are awaiting rescheduled visa appointments, according to an internal memo viewed by Business Insider.

However, they face strict limitations: coding, strategic decision-making, and customer interactions are prohibited.

Visa Processing Delays

The delays in visa processing are attributed to a new requirement for consular officers to review applicants’ social media posts.

This has caused significant scheduling setbacks at embassies and consulates, affecting many American companies, including Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT), which have issued travel advisories.

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Amazon’s internal memo, posted on December 17, emphasizes compliance with local laws, stating no exceptions to the restrictions.

The memo does not address situations for employees whose appointments are delayed beyond March 2 or those stranded in other countries.

Tech Giants Advise Against Travel

The current situation with Amazon employees is part of a broader issue affecting many tech companies. Google and Apple have also advised their visa-holding employees against international travel due to significant delays at U.S. embassies, which could prevent their return for months.

Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, expressed that the $100,000 H-1B visa fee was unexpected. Meanwhile, Elon Musk has defended skilled immigration, emphasizing that the U.S. benefits from international talent.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) earlier called for an end to Indian H-1B visas, linking immigration policies to broader geopolitical issues.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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