News: 0180444983

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Apple and Google Asking Some Employees With H-1B Visas To Avoid International Travel (sfchronicle.com)

(Tuesday December 23, 2025 @11:41AM (msmash) from the time-for-caution dept.)


Tech giants Google and Apple are asking some employees with H-1B visas to [1]reconsider international travel , as their legal teams warned that visa processing delays could keep employees abroad for months, according to Business Insider. From a report:

> Law firms representing the tech giants sent memos advising staff who require visa stamps for reentry to stay in the U.S., warning that international travel could entangle them in visa screening delays following the introduction of a new social media screening requirement, according to the news agency. The policy subjects H-1B workers and their dependents to reviews of their social media histories.

>

> "Please be aware that some US Embassies and Consulates are experiencing significant visa stamping appointment delays, currently reported as up to 12 months," BAL Immigration Law, which represents Google, said in a memo obtained by Business Insider. The law firm said the delays were affecting H-1B, H-4, F, J and M visas.



[1] https://www.sfchronicle.com/tech/article/apple-google-h1b-visas-travel-21254915.php


Christ in a chicken basket. (Score:2)

by xevioso ( 598654 )

These tech companies bent over backwards to appease that clown in the half-a-white-house, and he responds by making it more difficult for the very employees that help them operate their company to come back to the US. The racism is on full display, and yet these tech companies are too chicken-shit to stand up to that clown and his literally evil minions.

So Trump hasn't actually done anything (Score:1)

by rsilvergun ( 571051 )

He added a fee but it's not really enough to matter and it only applies to H1B which is only about 65,000 visas a year. For context we bring in around a million immigrants legally every year and about 40% of them are here for what would be considered middle class jobs (doctors programmers project managers that sort of thing).

Trump is making a lot of show and ice beating the shit out of grandmas makes good TV for bitter old racists but in practical terms immigration is increasing under Trump especially

Re: (Score:2)

by ArchieBunker ( 132337 )

They don't care as long as the stock price goes up.

Re: (Score:1)

by Tablizer ( 95088 )

> companies bent over backwards to appease that clown in the half-a-white-house, and he responds by making it more difficult

Spoiled brats are never satisfied. When they give in they embolden Don. The companies may initially think he's "pro-business", but actually he's pro-Trump, and will suck them dry to appease his demented whims if not stopped.

Re: (Score:2)

by SchroedingersCat ( 583063 )

Tech unemployment rate is pushing 5%, layoffs climbing to 200k surpassing prior years and record numbers of CS grads cannot find work. Tech companies are bending backwards because they have been abusing H1B program for years.

Re: (Score:2)

by ClickOnThis ( 137803 )

You do realize that the number of H-1B visas granted each year is capped, right? And that there are significant procedural hoops to jump through, and (now) very high fees.

I'm all for a discussion about the balance of immigrant workers vs. US-based workers. People of goodwill can disagree on what that balance is. But you can't claim companies are "abusing" a program that is so strictly controlled by the government.

Re: Christ in a chicken basket. (Score:2)

by Richard Dick Head ( 803293 )

Speaking from experience, the H1-B's generally don't go home, total headcount goes up every year, and once they naturalize they're not counted in the statistic. It this terrible tech economy, less is more

Re: (Score:2)

by whoever57 ( 658626 )

I am a former H1B holder that is now a citizen, however, I know other former H1B holders who have gone home, some of whom had citizenship or green cards.

I also know Indian H1B holders who are considering a move home now, since they are unlikely to ever get a green card. Note that, if an Indian citizen moves home without getting citizenship, they won't be able to claim any Social Security payments when they hit retirement age.

Re: (Score:2)

by swillden ( 191260 )

> Tech unemployment rate is pushing 5%, layoffs climbing to 200k surpassing prior years and record numbers of CS grads cannot find work. Tech companies are bending backwards because they have been abusing H1B program for years.

The tech companies in the article are Apple and Google, and they do not abuse the program. I used to be a manager at Google, and know a lot of people who are or were managers at Apple. Those companies use H-1B to bring in highly-skilled engineers (my H-1B reports were all PhDs, and extremely good) and pay them market rates (by which I mean Silicon Valley market rates, i.e. $400k at the low end, climbing rapidly into seven figures for senior folks). Apple and Google also help their H-1B employees get to a

Entrumpy (Score:1)

by Tablizer ( 95088 )

Entrumpy at work

FAFO (Score:2)

by stooo ( 2202012 )

1) Choose fascism.

2) Get F*cked. Everybody gets F*cked.

Re: FAFO (Score:2)

by Richard Dick Head ( 803293 )

Lol they sure get angry when you take their pork and barrel away

Don't they have to return though? (Score:2)

by anoncoward69 ( 6496862 )

My understanding of some of them in my company they HAVE to by LAW return back for about a month per year. If they stayed in the USA the entire year they would be in violation. My understanding is that departments heavy in H1B holders just have to staff accordingly knowing that their staff is going to be on a mandatory month long "PTO" sometime though the year.

Love is sentimental measles.