Google has cautioned its foreign employees working in the United States against travelling abroad, warning that re-entry into the country could become increasingly difficult amid tightened visa scrutiny under the Trump administration. The advisory comes as new US government screening measures have led to severe processing delays, widespread appointment cancellations, and growing uncertainty for thousands of visa applicants, particularly from India.
The warning follows the introduction of enhanced social media vetting rules in mid-December, which have disrupted visa operations globally. Several visa centres in India have reportedly cancelled appointments en masse, with fresh dates being pushed as far as June 2026. The situation has also resulted in numerous H-1B visa holders being stranded in India after travelling home for visa renewals.
According to an internal memo accessed by Business Insider, Google has advised employees who require visa stamping to reconsider international travel plans. The memo, circulated by external legal advisors BAL Immigration Law, explicitly warned staff that leaving the US could mean they would “risk an extended stay outside the US”.
The advisory highlighted that visa processing timelines have increased sharply and noted that several US embassies and consulates are currently facing delays of up to 12 months for visa appointments.
This is not the first time Alphabet, Google’s parent company, has issued such guidance. A separate email seen by Reuters in September showed that Alphabet had already strongly urged its employees—especially H-1B visa holders—to avoid international travel and remain in the United States due to growing uncertainty around visa processing.
The H-1B visa programme, a key pathway used by the US technology sector to recruit skilled professionals from countries such as India and China, has come under renewed scrutiny this year. The Trump administration has introduced a $100,000 fee for new H-1B applications, significantly raising the cost burden for employers and applicants alike.
In addition to the steep fee hike, applicants now face tighter screening requirements, including expanded background checks and multiple changes to the visa selection and adjudication process.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, many Indian professionals holding H-1B visas have been left stuck in their home country after travelling back for routine visa renewals. US consular offices reportedly cancelled their appointments without prior notice and rescheduled them several months later, disrupting careers and personal lives.
Earlier this month, the US government further broadened its screening and vetting framework for H-1B visa applicants and their H-4 dependents, extending the requirements to other visa categories as well.
Under the updated guidelines, applicants have been directed to make all their social media accounts publicly accessible.
“To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for H-1B and their dependents (H-4), F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas are instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to ‘public’…Every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” the State Department said in a December 15 order.
The move has sparked concern among visa applicants and employers, with critics warning that the policy raises serious questions around privacy, transparency, and due process.
The tightening of visa rules and prolonged delays have placed added pressure on US technology companies that depend heavily on global talent. Indian professionals, who form a significant portion of the H-1B workforce, appear to be among the hardest hit.
With re-entry risks increasing and appointment availability shrinking, many foreign employees are choosing to postpone travel indefinitely, including trips for family emergencies, weddings, or visa renewals.
Industry experts warn that prolonged uncertainty could affect workforce mobility, project continuity, and employee morale across the US tech sector.
Google’s warning to its visa-holding employees underscores the growing uncertainty surrounding US immigration policies as screening norms tighten and visa processing slows dramatically. While the new measures are framed as national security safeguards, their real-world impact has been severe—leaving thousands of skilled professionals stranded, appointments delayed by months, and international travel effectively frozen for many.
As stricter scrutiny, higher fees, and expanded social media vetting become the new normal, both employers and employees are being forced to rethink mobility and long-term career plans. For now, the message from companies like Google is clear: international travel carries real risks, and returning to the US may no longer be guaranteed.