Tech Firms Warn Visa Staff Against Travel

Leading technology companies have advised employees working on visas to avoid
travelling outside the United States. This advice comes after new visa
screening rules caused long delays at US embassies and consulates.

Companies such as Google, Apple, Microsoft, and ServiceNow warned their
visa-holding employees that international travel could leave them stuck
abroad for months. The warning follows a new rule that requires extra checks
of social media accounts for some visa applicants. Because of this, visa
appointments are facing major backlogs.

According to reports, US embassies have postponed regular visa stamping
appointments. As a result, some employees who travel abroad are unable to
return to the US for long periods. If a visa stamp expires while an employee
is outside the country, they must get a new stamp from a US consulate before
coming back.

Since appointments are now being pushed far into the future, even short trips
outside the US could cause serious problems. In some cases, employees could be
stuck outside the country for up to a year.