Google and Apple warn H-1B visa holders against international travel amid year-long appointment delays

Alphabet’s Google and Apple have advised some employees on U.S. work visas to avoid international travel due to delays of up to 12 months for visa stamping appointments at embassies, Business Insider reported on Friday, citing internal memos.

Immigration law firms representing the companies said the delays stem from new social media screening requirements, warning that staff risk being stranded outside the US if appointments are postponed, the report said.

The advisory applies to holders of H-1B, H-4, F, J and M visas, according to Google’s memo, which said some US embassies and consulates face appointment delays of up to a year, according to the report.

Google and Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The administration of President Donald Trump this month announced increased vetting of applicants for H-1B visas for highly skilled workers, including screening social media accounts.

The H-1B visa program, widely used by the US technology sector to hire skilled workers from India and China, has been under the spotlight after the Trump administration imposed a $100,000 fee for new applications this year.

In September, Google’s parent company Alphabet had strongly advised its employees to avoid international travel and urged H-1B visa holders to remain in the US, according to an email seen by Reuters.