Indian Employees Stranded by U.S. Visa Delays... Big Tech Faces Turmoil

Amazon Extends Remote Work Period
From 20 Days to 3 Months

Amazon logo, the world's largest e-commerce company. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Following Google, Apple, and Microsoft (MS), Amazon is also experiencing significant disruptions in its business operations due to delays in U.S. visa processing, causing major confusion among big tech companies. In particular, Amazon, which has a high proportion of employees of Indian descent working overseas, is estimated to be suffering substantial damage.

The world's largest e-commerce company, Amazon, has decided to implement remote work until March for employees who are stranded abroad due to delays in U.S. visa processing, according to a report by the U.S. business media outlet Business Insider (BI) on January 1 (local time).

In a recent memo sent to employees, Amazon notified that those stranded in India would be allowed to work remotely until March. Normally, Amazon permits employees traveling abroad for visa renewal to work remotely for up to 20 days. However, considering the recent delays in visa processing, the company has temporarily extended this period to about three months.

However, employees working remotely from India are not allowed to enter Amazon buildings or participate in contract negotiations and signings. Coding, testing, and similar tasks are also prohibited. As a result, even if remote work is permitted, the actual scope of work for technical staff will be extremely limited. Amazon stated that these restrictions are in accordance with local laws and that there will be no exceptions.

Amazon introduced this temporary policy because U.S. visa processing for foreigners has been delayed since the introduction of social network service (SNS) verification requirements. Among several countries, Bloomberg recently reported that visa processing in India, where there are many employees holding the so-called "specialty occupation visa" H-1B, is particularly slow. The H-1B visa is for professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Amazon is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the H-1B visa program. According to BI's analysis of data from the Department of Labor and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Amazon received approval for a total of 14,783 H-1B visa applications in the 2024 fiscal year, including 23 cases related to its subsidiary Whole Foods.

Previously, Google, Apple, and MS also recently advised their foreign employees to refrain from leaving the United States due to visa processing delays. BAL Immigration Law Firm, which serves as external legal counsel for Google, recently recommended that employees avoid long-term stays outside the United States due to the risks involved.

Apple's advisory firm Fragomen also urged employees without valid visa stamps to avoid overseas travel, and if unavoidable, to consult with the immigration team in advance.