Apple, Google urge employees on visas to avoid leaving US amid Trump's crackdown on immigration

Amid US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration , Apple and Google are warning employees on US visas to avoid travelling outside the country, since there is a risk of getting stuck. Both the tech giants raised concerns over the Trump administration’s toughening stance on visa applications in an internal memo, NPR reported.

US consulates all over the world have been reporting lengthy, sometimes months-long delays for visa appointments following new rules from the Department of Homeland Security, requiring travellers to undergo a screening of up to five years’ social media history .

Apple and Google , which together employ over 300,000 visa holders, have been urging their staff to stay in the US if they can avoid travelling abroad. “We recommend avoiding international travel at this time as you risk an extended stay outside of the US,” Berry Appleman & Leiden, a law firm that works with Google, wrote to employees in a memo obtained by NPR.

Meanwhile, the law firm Fragomen, which works with Apple, wrote a similar message in this regard. “Given the recent updates and the possibility of unpredictable, extended delays when returning to the U.S., we strongly recommend that employees without a valid H-1B visa stamp avoid international travel for now,” the memo read. “If travel cannot be postponed, employees should connect with Apple Immigration and Fragomen in advance to discuss the risks,” the law firm wrote in the memo.

Tech giants affected by Trump’s visa rules

The memo reflected the simple fact that the harsh measures by the Trump administration are forcing the country’s tech giants to take precautionary measures. Earlier this year, the White House announced that companies will be subjected to a $100,000 fee for all new H-1B visas, a type of visa popular among tech companies eager to hire highly skilled workers from abroad.

It is pertinent to note that H-1B visas typically last for three years, and applicants have to return to an embassy or consulate in their home country for renewal. However, reports suggested that such a routine trip could lead to people being stranded for months as a result of the Trump administration’s new policies.

The memos became public just days after The Washington Post reported that hundreds of visa holders who travelled to India to renew their H-1Bs had their appointments postponed with the State Department. The American officials reasoned that they needed more time to ensure that no applicants “pose a threat to US national security or public safety.”

In the midst of the chaos, the Alphabet Workers’ Union has been campaigning for additional protections for workers on H-1B visas. They pointed out how these workers will be particularly vulnerable if Google carries out layoffs .