Dec 19 (Reuters) – Alphabet’s Google and Apple have advised some employees on U.S. work visas to avoid international travel due to delays of up to 12 months for visa stamping appointments at embassies, Business Insider reported on Friday citing internal memos. Immigration law firms representing the companies said the delays stem from new social media screening requirements, warning that staff risk being stranded outside the U.S. if appointments are postponed, the report said. The advisory applies to holders of H-1B, H-4, F, J and M visas, according to Google’s memo, which said some U.S. embassies and consulates face appointment delays of up to a year, according to the report. Google and Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The administration of President Donald Trump this month announced increased vetting of applicants for H-1B visas for highly skilled workers, including screening social media accounts. The H-1B visa program, widely used by the U.S. technology sector to hire skilled workers from India and China, has been under the spotlight after the Trump administration imposed a $100,000 fee for new applications this year. In September, Google's parent company Alphabet had strongly advised its employees to avoid international travel and urged H-1B visa holders to remain in the U.S., according to an email seen by Reuters. (Reporting by Ruchika Khanna in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Rajveer Singh Pardesi in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, William Mallard and Diane Craft)
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