Google and Apple have warned their employees against traveling outside the United States due to a crisis of consular appointment delays at U.S. embassies worldwide, which can sometimes reach up to 12 months to obtain a visa stamp, according to internal letters from the law firms representing the two tech giants.
The letters indicated that travel at this time carries high risks, as employees may find themselves stranded abroad for extended periods if their appointments are delayed. This is amid new vetting requirements that include a thorough review of applicants’ social media accounts and increased scrutiny of work visas for high-skilled labor, recently approved by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Alphabet, Google’s parent company, has advised its employees since last September to avoid traveling outside the United States and urged work visa holders to remain within the country to avoid any legal or procedural complications that could prevent their return.
This comes within the framework of stricter immigration policies through which Trump seeks to restrict the entry of regular immigrants, visitors, and tourists, including a ban on citizens from dozens of countries, among them Arab nations. Last Tuesday, he signed an executive order imposing new restrictions on the entry of citizens from several countries into the United States.
Major technology companies are facing increasing challenges with the mobility of their international employees due to the tightening of U.S. immigration policies, particularly for high-skilled labor.
The new consular delays have caused disruptions to employee schedules, prompting companies to issue official warnings to stay within the United States. This step aims to protect employee interests and ensure their ability to return without legal or administrative problems.
Google
Google is an American multinational technology company founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University. It began as a search engine project and has since grown into a global leader in internet-related services and products, including online advertising, cloud computing, and software.
Apple
Apple Inc. is an American technology company founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, known for revolutionizing personal computing, music, and mobile communications with products like the Macintosh, iPod, and iPhone. Its headquarters, Apple Park in Cupertino, California, is a notable architectural landmark designed by Foster + Partners and opened in 2017.
United States
The United States is a federal republic founded in 1776 after declaring independence from Great Britain, with its modern government established by the Constitution in 1789. Its history is marked by westward expansion, industrialization, and its emergence as a global superpower in the 20th century. The nation is defined by its diverse cultural heritage, stemming from immigration, and its significant influence on global politics, economics, and popular culture.
U.S. embassies
U.S. embassies are official diplomatic missions representing the United States government in foreign nations, facilitating international relations, providing consular services, and promoting American interests. Their modern history is deeply shaped by the Foreign Service Act of 1946, which professionalized American diplomacy following World War II. These compounds serve as sovereign U.S. territory abroad and have been central to both diplomatic engagement and, at times, significant historical events, such as the 1998 bombings in East Africa.
Alphabet
The Alphabet, as a concept, refers to a standardized set of letters or characters representing the phonemes of a language. Its history is often traced to the Proto-Sinaitic script, which evolved into the Phoenician alphabet and later greatly influenced the Greek and Latin writing systems. This innovation revolutionized communication by moving from pictographic or syllabic writing to a more efficient phonetic system.
Donald Trump
Donald Trump is a businessman and media personality who served as the 45th President of the United States from 2017 to 2021. His presidency was marked by a populist and unconventional political style, significant tax reforms, and a focus on immigration restriction and “America First” foreign policy.
