In a significant move to address the ongoing H-1B visa processing delays, e-commerce behemoth Amazon has reportedly permitted its Indian employees stranded in their home country to work remotely. This arrangement, as per an internal memo cited by Business Insider, is effective immediately and extends until 2 March 2026. The policy specifically applies to impacted employees who were in India as of 13 December 2025 and are awaiting rescheduled visa appointments.
What Does Amazon's Remote Work Policy Entail?
The company's directive offers a temporary solution for its workforce caught in the visa backlog. However, this remote work permission comes with a stringent set of operational limitations designed to comply with local laws and internal governance. According to the report, the memo explicitly states that there are no exceptions to these restrictions.
The most notable constraints affect employees in technical and decision-making roles. Indian staff working remotely will not be permitted to code, perform troubleshooting, testing, or documentation. Furthermore, they are barred from making strategic business decisions, conducting planning, or negotiating and signing contracts. All final reviews and sign-offs must be handled outside India.
Major Restrictions and Employee Concerns
The list of restrictions raises practical concerns about the nature of work that can be performed. An Amazon software engineer highlighted the challenge, telling Business Insider that 70 to 80% of their job involves coding, testing, deploying, and documenting—activities now off-limits under the new rules.
Other key prohibitions include:
- Employees cannot interact with customers or represent any Amazon entity in India.
- They are forbidden from directing, controlling, or supervising the day-to-day operations of any Amazon local entity in India.
- Hiring operations in India are not permitted; all employment matters will be decided by the Amazon US entity.
- Employees must work remotely from a residential address or other non-Amazon location.
- They cannot give the impression of having authority to bind Amazon to any agreement.
The memo does not provide guidance for employees whose visa appointments are scheduled beyond the 2 March 2026 deadline or for those stranded in countries other than India.
The Broader Context of US Immigration Crackdown
Amazon's policy is a direct response to the dynamically changing immigration landscape under the Trump administration. US embassies and consulates have rescheduled visa appointments by several months, with some reportedly pushed as late as 2027. This is partly due to new mandates, including a review of visa applicants' social media posts, which have lengthened processing times.
Amazon is not alone in navigating these challenges. Other tech giants like Google, Apple, and Microsoft are also devising strategies to cope with the federal government's immigration crackdown. Many have advised their US-based employees to avoid international travel to prevent being stranded outside the country.
According to the report, Amazon filed 14,783 certified H-1B applications, including 23 for Whole Foods, in the financial year ending 2024. The company has not yet issued an official statement in response to queries from Business Insider or Mint regarding this development.
