In a significant deviation from its stringent return-to-office mandate, Amazon has permitted a group of its employees stranded in India due to severe US visa processing delays to work remotely until early March. This move underscores the operational challenges major technology companies are facing following rapid changes to the American H-1B visa program.
Strict Remote Work Rules for Stranded Employees
According to an internal memo obtained by Business Insider, Amazon informed affected workers that those who were in India as of December 13 and are awaiting rescheduled visa appointments can continue working remotely until March 2, 2025. This exception is a notable break from CEO Andy Jassy's strict five-day-a-week office policy, which was enforced starting January 2025.
However, this temporary arrangement is laden with extensive restrictions that severely limit what employees can accomplish. The company has explicitly barred these workers from several core job functions. They are not allowed to engage in any coding activities, which includes troubleshooting and testing software. Furthermore, they cannot make strategic decisions, negotiate contracts, or perform any hiring-related tasks.
The memo clearly states that all final reviews, decision-making, and sign-offs must be conducted by personnel located outside of India. Employees are also prohibited from working from or visiting any Amazon office buildings in India and cannot interact with customers or manage partner and vendor relationships. "In compliance with local laws, there are no exceptions to these restrictions," the internal communication emphasized.
Productivity Concerns and Visa Program Impact
For technical staff, especially software engineers, these limitations present a major hurdle to productivity. One Amazon software engineer revealed to Business Insider that 70-80% of their job—encompassing coding, testing, deployment, and documentation—falls under the prohibited activities. This raises critical questions about the practical utility of the remote work permission for many of the affected individuals.
The root cause of this situation is attributed to the Trump administration's recent overhaul of the H-1B visa process. New requirements, which mandate that US consular officers review applicants' social media histories before granting approval, have led to massive processing backlogs. The delays are so severe that some US embassies and consulates have been forced to reschedule visa appointments as far out as 2027.
Amazon's Heavy Reliance on H-1B Visas
The visa delays pose a substantial challenge for Amazon, which is one of the largest corporate users of the H-1B program. Official data shows that the company filed 14,783 certified H-1B applications during the 2024 fiscal year. The crisis is not confined to Amazon; other tech behemoths like Google, Apple, and Microsoft have also issued travel advisories, warning their US-based employees with visas to avoid international travel to prevent getting stranded.
While Amazon's standard policy allows employees traveling abroad for visa renewals to work remotely for up to 20 business days, the recent memo does not clarify the path forward for those whose appointments are scheduled beyond March 2 or for employees stuck in other countries facing similar delays. This exceptional policy highlights the ongoing tension between rigid corporate mandates and the unpredictable realities of global immigration policy, forcing even the strictest of companies to adapt.
