Amazon: For decades, global mobility functioned as the quiet backbone of America’s technology sector. Engineers and product specialists routinely crossed borders for visa renewals, worked remotely for a short stretch, and returned to US offices with minimal disruption. That informal rhythm allowed companies to scale talent without fully confronting the fragility of immigration systems.
That rhythm is now breaking down. Amazon’s latest internal policy—crafted to address employees stranded in India due to US visa delays—has thrown the issue into sharp relief and exposed how vulnerable even the world’s largest technology firms have become.
According to an internal memo reviewed by Business Insider, Amazon has permitted a limited group of employees stuck in India to continue working remotely until early March 2026. On the surface, the move appears generous. In practice, it is narrowly drawn, legally cautious, and deeply restrictive—illustrating how constrained corporate flexibility has become under tightening immigration rules.
Amazon: A narrow exception, not a new normal
The temporary arrangement applies only to employees who were already in India by December 13 and whose visa appointments were rescheduled by US consulates. Even for this small group, the scope of allowed work is sharply limited.
Employees cannot write code, test systems, troubleshoot issues, interact with customers, negotiate contracts, or make strategic decisions. They are barred from entering Amazon offices in India, and all reviews, final approvals, and sign-offs must take place outside the country. The memo explicitly notes that there are “no exceptions” to these rules to comply with local laws.
The result is an unusual professional limbo. Workers remain on payroll, but are effectively locked out of the core responsibilities that define their roles. For many, the policy preserves employment status while stripping away meaningful participation in day-to-day work.
Amazon visa delays and the human fallout
The immediate consequence has been a severe slowdown in visa processing. Appointments that once took weeks are now being pushed back by months, and in some reported cases, by years. Some US consulates have rescheduled interviews as far out as 2027, transforming a routine administrative step into a prolonged standstill.
In response, major technology companies—including Google, Apple, and Microsoft—have issued internal advisories urging visa-holding employees to avoid international travel altogether. The warning is blunt: leave the US, and re-entry may not be guaranteed anytime soon.
Amazon: Working, but unable to work
Amazon’s decision to extend remote work eligibility until March 2, 2026, goes far beyond its standard policy, which allows up to 20 business days of overseas work during visa renewals. The extension signals how seriously the company views the disruption.
Yet the restrictions raise a fundamental question: what productive work remains possible? For software engineers, very little. One Amazon engineer told Business Insider that 70 to 80 percent of their role involves coding, testing, deploying, and documenting software—activities now explicitly prohibited under the temporary arrangement.
A dependency laid bare
This episode underscores a deeper structural issue. Amazon is not merely a participant in the H-1B system; it is one of its largest users. During the 2024 federal fiscal year, the company filed 14,783 certified H-1B applications, including those for Whole Foods, according to analysis of US Department of Labor and USCIS data cited by Business Insider.
That scale has long fueled Amazon’s growth. Now, it amplifies the company’s exposure. When immigration policy tightens abruptly, the impact ripples through engineering teams, product timelines, and management structures. Legal compliance may be preserved, but operational coherence begins to strain.