Microsoft warns Visa employees to avoid travel amid US processing delays

Microsoft has joined Google, Apple and other major technology companies in advising certain visa-holding employees to avoid international travel, as prolonged delays in US visa processing leave thousands of professionals at risk of being stranded outside the country.

The advisory comes amid growing disruption in the H-1B visa renewal process, particularly affecting employees who travel to India for visa stamping. Many H-1B holders who left the US expecting routine processing have faced repeated rescheduling of in-person interviews, delaying their return by months.

According to industry sources, the delays are linked to enhanced social media vetting measures introduced by US authorities, which have significantly extended processing timelines at American embassies and consulates. In some cases, visa stamping appointments are now being pushed back by as much as a year, raising concerns over employment continuity and legal status.

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Microsoft recently issued an internal advisory cautioning specific categories of visa-holding staff against non-essential travel outside the US. The memo, accessed by Business Insider, was sent by Jack Chen, the company’s associate general counsel for immigration, and highlighted growing uncertainty around appointment availability.

The advisory noted that US consulates have begun rescheduling existing H-1B and H-4 appointments, with revised dates being pushed out by several months. Employees were told that rescheduling notices were primarily being issued by US missions in Chennai and Hyderabad, two key centres for visa processing.

Google and Apple have also issued similar guidance to their visa-dependent workforce in recent weeks, urging employees to defer international travel unless absolutely necessary. Other multinational tech firms are understood to have circulated informal advisories as well, reflecting broader concern across the sector.

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Immigration experts say the situation has left thousands of professionals in limbo, particularly Indian nationals who form a large share of the US technology workforce. While visa holders are legally employed, extended stays outside the US can jeopardise job continuity, project timelines and even reentry eligibility.

Companies are now increasingly factoring immigration uncertainty into workforce planning, advising employees to prioritise stability over travel until processing backlogs ease. Industry watchers note that unless consular capacity improves or policy adjustments are made, visa-related disruptions could continue well into next year.