Amazon is allowing employees stranded in India due to visa delays to work remotely until March 2, 2026, marking a rare exception to CEO Andy Jassy’s strict five-day return-to-office mandate that took effect in January. The temporary arrangement comes with extensive restrictions that limit what employees can actually accomplish while working from India.
Remote Work With Major Restrictions
The policy applies to employees who were in India as of December 13 and are awaiting rescheduled visa appointments. According to an internal memo posted to Amazon’s HR portal on December 17, affected workers face significant work limitations:
- Cannot write, review, or deploy code
- Prohibited from making strategic business decisions
- Barred from customer interactions
- Cannot visit Amazon facilities in India
- Unable to negotiate contracts or make hiring decisions
For technical employees, these restrictions severely limit productivity. One Amazon software engineer told Business Insider that 70-80% of their job involves coding, testing, deploying, and documentation—all prohibited activities under the temporary policy.
Amazon typically allows employees traveling abroad for visa renewals to work remotely for up to 20 business days. This new policy extends that timeline but provides no guidance for employees whose appointments are rescheduled beyond March 2 or those stranded in other countries.
Mass Visa Delays Hit Tech Workers
The remote work exception reflects broader chaos in the H-1B visa program following enhanced screening requirements implemented in December 2025. Starting December 15, U.S. consular officers must review visa applicants’ social media posts before approving visas, requiring applicants to make their profiles public.
The additional screening has drastically reduced daily appointment capacity. U.S. consulates across India have rescheduled thousands of interviews originally scheduled for mid-December into March 2026 or later. Immigration attorneys have called the situation “the biggest mess” they have seen, with some appointments pushed as far as October 2026.
The delays hit workers who traveled to India during the holiday season expecting routine visa renewals. Many are now unable to return to their jobs and families in the United States for months.
Why This Matters for Tech Industry
Amazon filed 14,783 certified H-1B applications during fiscal year 2024, making it among the largest users of the program. The visa backlog creates serious operational challenges:
- Productivity losses from restricted remote work capabilities
- Project delays due to missing team members
- Uncertainty about workforce availability through 2026
- Potential impact on product development timelines
The situation extends beyond Amazon. Other major tech companies including Google, Apple, and Microsoft have issued travel advisories warning visa-holding employees to avoid international travel to prevent extended stays outside the United States.
Impact on Remote Work Policies
This exception represents a significant departure from Amazon’s hardline return-to-office stance. The company implemented one of tech’s strictest RTO policies, requiring employees to work from offices five days per week starting January 2026. The visa crisis has forced Amazon to acknowledge that remote work remains necessary under certain circumstances.
However, the extensive restrictions suggest Amazon remains committed to limiting remote work wherever possible. The policy appears designed to maintain compliance with immigration requirements while minimizing actual remote productivity.
What Happens After March 2?
Amazon’s memo provides no clear guidance for several scenarios:
- Employees whose visa appointments are rescheduled beyond March 2
- Workers stranded in countries other than India
- Whether the remote work period can be extended
- Consequences for employees unable to return by the deadline
The lack of clarity leaves thousands of workers in limbo. With appointment delays extending into October 2026 for some applicants, the March 2 deadline may prove insufficient for many affected employees.
Immigration attorneys report unprecedented processing backlogs at U.S. consulates. Standard visa renewals that typically took days or weeks now face months-long delays. The situation shows no signs of immediate improvement as consulates adjust to new screening protocols.
Industry-Wide Implications
The visa crisis affects the entire tech sector’s ability to maintain global workforces. Companies that rely heavily on H-1B visa holders face difficult choices:
- Restricting employee travel indefinitely
- Accepting extended remote work arrangements despite RTO policies
- Redistributing work to team members in the U.S.
- Delaying projects requiring specialized skills
The situation also raises questions about the long-term viability of strict return-to-office mandates in an industry dependent on international talent mobility.
Featured Snippet Boxes
How long can Amazon employees work remotely from India?
Amazon allows affected employees to work remotely until March 2, 2026. However, the policy includes significant restrictions on coding, customer interactions, and strategic decisions. Employees whose visa appointments extend beyond March 2 have no clear guidance on their status.
What caused the H-1B visa delays in India?
New screening requirements implemented December 15, 2025 require consular officers to review visa applicants’ social media posts before approval. Applicants must make their profiles public. This additional screening drastically reduced appointment capacity, causing thousands of interviews to be rescheduled from December into March 2026 or later.
Can Amazon employees code while working remotely from India?
No. Amazon’s temporary remote work policy explicitly prohibits coding, testing, deploying software, or technical documentation. Employees also cannot make strategic decisions, interact with customers, or visit Amazon facilities. These restrictions significantly limit productivity for technical roles.
What other tech companies are affected by visa delays?
Google, Apple, Microsoft, and other major tech companies have issued travel advisories warning H-1B visa holders to avoid international travel. Amazon filed 14,783 H-1B applications in fiscal 2024, making it one of the program’s largest users. The delays affect thousands of tech workers across the industry.
