4 months ago
87
ARTICLE AD BOX
Apple has present joined the database of different tech giants specified arsenic Google, Microsoft and others successful informing employees astir the risks of planetary question owed to delays successful US visa stamping.
Recently, the US Department of State has acknowledged important delays successful visa appointments astatine American embassies and consulates worldwide, including successful India, arsenic processing times agelong up to 12 months owed to enhanced screening procedures. In a connection to Business Insider, a State Department spokesperson confirmed that consular offices are present “prioritizing thoroughly vetting each visa lawsuit supra each else” implicit the erstwhile accent connected reducing hold times.The delays person prompted Apple to contented question advisories to employees holding H-1B visas and their dependents, informing them against planetary question owed to the “risk of an extended stay” extracurricular the United States. As per the interior memo seen by Business Insider, Apple’s migration squad has asked its unit connected H-1B visas without valid stamps to postpone their question plans successful bid to debar being stuck extracurricular the country.
Read the memo sent by Apple's migration squad to employees
The email, sent by Apple’s migration team, reads:“Given the caller updates and the anticipation of unpredictable, extended delays erstwhile returning to the US, we powerfully urge that employees without a valid H-1B visa stamp debar planetary question for now. If question cannot beryllium postponed, employees should link with Apple Immigration and Fragomen successful beforehand to sermon the risks.”This guidance reflects the increasing concerns crossed Silicon Valley arsenic visa processing times astatine US embassies and consulates agelong to up to 12 months owed to caller screening requirements.
Industry-wide warnings
The memo shared by Apple is followed by akin advisories from Google and Microsoft which person already cautioned employees against leaving the US amid the delays. Immigration instrumentality firms pass that professionals traveling overseas for visa renewals hazard being stranded if appointments are canceled oregon postponed.
Tech companies astir affected by H-1B disruptions
The visa delays peculiarly interaction exertion companies that trust heavy connected the H-1B program, which caps caller visas astatine 85,000 annually. During fiscal twelvemonth 2024, Google applied for 5,537 H-1B visas portion Apple sought 3,880, according to Department of Labor and USCIS information analyzed by Business Insider. Indians relationship for implicit 70% of H-1B visas issued.Immigration lawyer Jason Finkelman advised that overseas nationals with valid visa stamps should mostly beryllium capable to instrumentality to the US, but recommended clients debar non-essential travel. “If question isn’t indispensable close now, amended to enactment put,” helium said, noting that H-1B workers stuck overseas owed to cancelled consular appointments look uncertain timelines for returning to enactment successful the United States.
