Summary:
- Amazon allowed U.S.-based employees stuck in India to work remotely.
- H-1B visa processing delays continue following changes to procedures.
- An Indiana lawmaker questioned university’s H-1B-backed faculty hire.
AMAZON ALLOWED SOME U.S.-based employees stuck in India due to visa delays to work remotely until March 2. However, there are strict limits on the type of work they can perform.
The temporary move applies to staff awaiting rescheduled visa appointments and marks a rare exception to the company’s five-day office work rule, according to Business Insider.
Employees who were in India as of Dec. 13 and are waiting for visa renewals can use this provision, according to an internal memo, as reported by Business Insider. However, they are barred from coding, making strategic decisions or interacting with customers during this period.
Several employees said the limitations significantly reduce their ability to perform core job functions, particularly for technical roles that primarily involve software development and deployment.
The decision comes amid delays in U.S. visa processing following changes to the H-1B program, including expanded social media reviews of applicants.
The report said several technology companies, including Google, Apple and Microsoft, have issued travel advisories to staff amid the delays.
Amazon is among the largest users of the H-1B program. During the 2024 fiscal year, the company filed 14,783 certified H-1B applications, Business Insider reported, citing U.S. government data.
USCIS statistics for fiscal year 2024 show 399,395 H-1B petitions approved nationwide, a 3 percent increase from the previous year. Educational institutions accounted for 5.6 per cent of approvals, according to The Times of India.
London-born tech founder Shahriar Tajbakhsh’s take on President Donald Trump’s proposed $100,000 H-1B visa fee is going viral. He dismissed concerns over the fee, joking that he would pay the amount “per day” if needed.
