Thousands of Indian and other foreign nationals employed by US technology companies are facing travel uncertainty as H-1B visa processing delays persist. In response, Amazon has temporarily eased its mandatory five-day in-office rule for affected employees who travelled to India on leave and cannot return because of delayed visa appointments.
H-1B visa delay India: What Amazon’s policy change means
An internal human resources memo sent through Amazon’s HR portal on 13 December 2025 grants eligible employees the right to work from home until 2 March 2026. The concession applies specifically to those who remain in India because they cannot secure timely H-1B visa appointments to re-enter the United States.
The company said the decision is intended to reduce disruption for staff while visa processing is resolved. Amazon had sponsored 14,783 H-1B petitions in the US fiscal year 2024, highlighting the firm’s heavy reliance on foreign talent and the potential operational impact of travel restrictions.
However, the remote-work allowance comes with tight restrictions. Employees working from India under the temporary policy are prohibited from performing coding tasks, engaging in software testing or development work, or carrying out code deployments. Quality assurance and other technical activities that could be treated as work performed on US-controlled intellectual property are also restricted.
Access to Amazon India offices is not permitted for these employees, and they may not sign contracts, undertake team supervision, or make planning or approval decisions while in India. The company has required that all analysis, final decisions and sign-off processes take place outside India to comply with legal and policy obligations in both jurisdictions.
Managers and HR teams have been instructed to confirm that daily activities of affected staff remain within the permitted limits. Amazon has warned that exceeding these restrictions could constitute legal or policy violations, exposing employees and the company to regulatory risk.
The visa backlog has created broader caution across the US technology sector. Google, Apple and Microsoft have similarly warned H-1B holders and other visaed staff against international travel, citing the risk of months-long or even year-long delays that could leave employees unable to return to the United States.
For many employees, the choice has been to extend leave in India or accept temporary remote arrangements. Amazon’s policy change aims to provide a practical alternative to leave extension, but it also underscores the operational complexities companies face when immigration processes do not align with workforce mobility needs.
Legal and immigration experts say firms must strike a careful balance between accommodating employees and maintaining compliance with immigration and labour laws. The Amazon measures reflect a cautious approach: permit remote work where feasible, but limit duties that might be considered US-based work under immigration or tax rules.
As visa appointment availability improves, companies will need clear guidance on transitioning affected employees back to the US and restoring standard workplace policies. For now, the temporary remote-work allowance offers relief for stranded employees while leaving strict guardrails in place to manage legal exposure.
Key Takeaways:
- Amazon has temporarily relaxed its five-day in-office rule for employees stranded in India due to the H-1B visa delay India.
- The company permits remote work until 2 March 2026 for affected staff, but strict limits bar coding, code deploys and other technical tasks.
- Employees cannot access India offices or sign contracts; approvals and final decisions must occur outside India to meet legal requirements.
- Other US tech giants including Google, Apple and Microsoft have warned staff about travel amid widespread visa appointment delays.
