In a move that offers limited relief, Amazon has extended a temporary remote work option to its employees stuck in India due to severe delays in H-1B visa processing. However, this lifeline is attached to a stringent set of restrictions that prevent workers from performing the core functions of their jobs.
Remote Work Allowed, But Core Duties Banned
According to an internal company memo accessed by Business Insider, the tech giant will permit employees who were in India as of December 13 to work remotely until March 2. This policy serves as a rare exception to Amazon's firm mandate requiring staff to be in the office five days a week.
Nevertheless, the arrangement is far from a normal remote work scenario. The memo outlines a surprisingly long list of prohibited activities, which Amazon states are required by local Indian laws. Employees working from India are explicitly barred from:
- Coding, testing, troubleshooting, or documenting code.
- Making strategic decisions or giving final approvals.
- Negotiating or signing contracts.
- Interacting with customers or managing vendor/partner relationships.
- Hiring anyone or visiting Amazon offices in India.
All critical decision-making and approvals must be handled by personnel located outside of India.
Software Engineers Question Practicality of the Policy
For Amazon's technical workforce, these limitations render the remote work option almost meaningless. A software engineer at the company revealed to Business Insider that 70 to 80 percent of their job involves precisely the banned tasks: coding, testing, deploying, and documenting.
This raises serious concerns about what productive work these employees can actually perform while stranded. The policy, while providing a temporary administrative solution, effectively sidelines a significant portion of Amazon's engineering talent based on their geographic location through no fault of their own.
Normally, Amazon's policy for visa renewals allows only 20 business days of remote work, making this extension until March a notable but heavily caveated deviation.
Root Cause: Trump-Era Visa Screening Expansions
The crisis forcing these extraordinary measures stems from expanded vetting rules for H-1B visas initiated by the Trump administration. In early December, the U.S. State Department mandated that consular officers must review the social media profiles of all visa applicants before issuance.
This new requirement has triggered massive processing delays, with some visa interview appointments being pushed as far out as 2027. Amazon is one of the largest users of the H-1B program, having filed 14,783 certified applications in the 2024 fiscal year.
The ripple effects are being felt across Silicon Valley. Other technology giants like Google, Apple, and Microsoft have issued travel warnings to employees holding visas, advising them to avoid international travel to prevent getting stuck in similar situations.
The internal memo provides no guidance for employees whose visa appointments extend beyond the March 2 deadline or for those stranded in countries other than India, leaving a cloud of uncertainty over their professional futures.
