Amazon grants rare remote work exception amid US visa delays

Amazon allowed India-based staff stuck in visa delays to work remotely till March 2, 2026, with strict limits on coding, decisions, and customer interaction

Amazon has made a rare policy exception by allowing employees stranded in India due to visa processing delays to work remotely until early March 2026. This temporary measure stands out against the company’s strict five-day return-to-office mandate introduced by CEO Andy Jassy in January 2025.

The decision applies to employees who were in India as of December 13 and are awaiting rescheduled visa appointments. They have been permitted to work remotely until March 2, but under significant restrictions. The arrangement prohibits them from coding, troubleshooting, or testing software, and bars them from making strategic decisions, negotiating contracts, or engaging with customers, partners, or vendors. Employees are also restricted from visiting Amazon offices in India during this period.

The move reflects the challenges posed by recent changes to the H-1B visa program under the Trump administration. New requirements mandate consular officers to review applicants’ social media activity before granting approvals, leading to substantial delays. Some US embassies and consulates have reportedly rescheduled visa appointments as far ahead as 2027, leaving many workers in limbo.

For technical staff whose roles revolve around coding, testing, and deployment, the restrictions severely limit productivity. While the temporary arrangement provides some relief, it raises concerns about efficiency and continuity of work.

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Amazon is among the largest users of the H-1B program, having filed nearly 14,783 certified applications in the 2024 fiscal year. The delays have created operational challenges not only for Amazon but also for other major technology companies such as Google, Apple, and Microsoft, which have issued advisories warning employees against international travel until visa uncertainties ease.

Ordinarily, Amazon permits employees traveling abroad for visa renewals to work remotely for up to 20 business days. However, the current exception extends beyond this limit and does not clarify what will happen to workers whose appointments are scheduled after March 2 or those stranded in countries other than India.

The situation underscores how sudden policy changes in immigration can disrupt global operations of tech giants, forcing them to adapt even their most rigid workplace rules to accommodate employees caught in bureaucratic delays.

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