Alphabet Inc’s Google and Apple Inc have advised some employees on US 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 and warned 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, and some US embassies and consulates face appointment delays of up to a year, the report cited Google’s memo as saying.
Photo: Reuters
Google and Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The administration of US 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 US$100,000 fee for new applications this year.
In September, Alphabet had strongly advised its employees to avoid international travel and urged H-1B visa holders to remain in the US, according to an e-mail seen by Reuters.
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