Visa Crisis Forces Amazon to Open Remote Doors for Stranded Indian Workers—With Major Catches

2026-01-12 18:57:25

Amazon has made an unusual concession to its rigid workplace culture: select employees stuck in India due to US visa processing backlogs can work remotely through early March. But don’t expect this to be a full work-from-anywhere arrangement.

The Exception to Amazon’s In-Office Rule

The tech giant, which normally demands five days in the office per week, issued an internal memo allowing staff members in India as of December 13 to operate remotely while awaiting rescheduled visa appointments. The grace period extends only until March 2, according to the company’s guidance.

This temporary shift marks a rare deviation from Amazon’s strict office policies, though it comes with significant strings attached—restrictions so extensive that they fundamentally redefine what “work” actually means for affected employees.

Trump Administration’s H-1B Changes Spark Visa Chaos

The root cause traces back to new H-1B visa program rules under the Trump administration, which introduced mandatory social media reviews by consular officers. These additional screening procedures have created unprecedented delays, pushing some visa appointment reschedules into 2027—potentially years away.

Amazon filed nearly 14,800 certified H-1B applications during fiscal year 2024, making it one of the largest corporate users of the program. The company’s reliance on this visa category for bringing talent from abroad now faces severe disruption.

Remote Work, But Not Really

Here’s where Amazon’s offer unravels. Employees permitted to work remotely from India face sweeping restrictions:

No coding or testing of software
No troubleshooting or technical problem-solving
No strategic decision-making authority
No customer interactions
No contract negotiations or signing
No office visits under any circumstances

All critical approvals, reviews, and final decisions must occur outside India, with the memo explicitly stating “no exceptions under local law.”

The Catch for Technical Staff

For engineers and developers—roles that inherently involve coding and deployment—these restrictions essentially render remote permission meaningless. Technical staff find themselves in a bizarre limbo: allowed to work remotely in title only, unable to perform their actual job functions.

No Solution for Extended Delays

Amazon’s policy offers no guidance for employees whose visa interviews slip beyond March 2, nor does it address staff stranded in countries other than India. With several US embassies reportedly scheduling appointments years into the future, many workers face an indefinite limbo with no clear path forward.

The restrictions highlight a deeper tension in tech: while companies like Amazon champion flexible work arrangements, they maintain stringent in-office mandates that collapse when faced with external disruptions.

Stock Performance: AMZN closed Wednesday at $230.85 on NasdaqGS, unchanged at 0.01%.

Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the analysis and do not necessarily represent Nasdaq, Inc.

This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.