As we head into the holiday season of December 2025, thousands of H-1B visa holders working at major tech companies are facing a difficult reality: going home for the holidays could mean not returning to work for an entire year.
Google and Apple have issued urgent travel warnings to their visa-holding employees, advising them to cancel international travel plans as US embassy visa stamping delays have reached unprecedented levels—up to 12 months in some locations.
The December 2025 Crisis
According to internal memos obtained by Business Insider on December 20, 2025, US embassies and consulates worldwide are experiencing severe backlogs in processing visa stamping appointments. Immigration law firms representing these tech giants warn that employees risk being stranded outside the United States if they travel internationally during this period.
The timing couldn’t be worse. With the winter holidays approaching, many immigrant workers are facing the heartbreaking choice between seeing family after years of separation or maintaining their careers in America.
What Google Is Telling Employees
BAL Immigration Law, representing Google, sent an urgent advisory to employees on Thursday, December 19, 2025: “Please be aware that some US Embassies and Consulates are experiencing significant visa stamping appointment delays, currently reported as up to 12 months.”
The firm’s message was direct: avoid international travel entirely, or risk “an extended stay outside the US.”
The advisory specifically affects workers holding:
- H-1B visas (specialty occupation workers)
- H-4 visas (dependent spouses and children)
- F visas (international students)
- J visas (exchange visitors)
- M visas (vocational students)
For many Google employees, this means missing Christmas and New Year celebrations with family abroad—a sacrifice that weighs heavily as 2025 draws to a close.
Apple’s Stark Warning to Staff
Last week, Fragomen, the immigration law firm representing Apple, sent an even more emphatic message to certain visa holders: do not travel unless absolutely unavoidable.
“Given the recent updates and the possibility of unpredictable, extended delays when returning to the U.S., we strongly recommend that employees without a valid H-1B visa stamp avoid international travel for now,” the memo stated. “If travel cannot be postponed, employees should connect with Apple Immigration and Fragomen in advance to discuss the risks.”
The warning underscores just how serious the situation has become as 2025 comes to an end.
Why Are We Seeing These Delays in 2025?
The bottleneck stems from enhanced vetting procedures implemented earlier this year, which now include comprehensive social media screening for H-1B visa applicants. President Donald Trump announced the increased scrutiny as part of broader immigration reforms in 2025.
While intended to strengthen national security, this additional layer of review has created massive processing backlogs at US diplomatic missions globally. Embassy staff are struggling to keep pace with the volume of applications while conducting thorough social media background checks on each applicant.
Adding to the strain, the Trump administration introduced a $10,000 fee for new H-1B applications in 2025—a change that has sparked heated debate about the program’s accessibility and future.
The H-1B Stamping Process: What You Need to Know
Many people don’t fully understand how visa stamping works, which makes this situation even more confusing and stressful.
Here’s the critical point: even if you have an approved H-1B petition and valid work authorization (I-797 approval notice), you still need a valid visa stamp in your passport to re-enter the United States after international travel.
When your visa stamp expires, you must apply for a new one at a US embassy or consulate—typically in your home country or country of legal residence. This process, which normally takes a few weeks, now risks leaving workers stranded abroad for up to a year.
The H-1B visa is usually valid for three years and renewable. However, the stamp and the petition are separate documents, and traveling without a valid stamp requires going through the embassy appointment process before you can return.
A Pattern of Warnings Throughout 2025
This isn’t the first travel advisory from major tech companies in 2025. Back in September, Google’s parent company Alphabet issued similar recommendations urging H-1B holders to remain in the United States, as reported by Reuters.
The fact that these warnings have persisted—and intensified—as the year ends suggests the situation has only worsened. What began as a processing slowdown has evolved into a full-blown crisis affecting thousands of skilled workers.
The Human Cost This Holiday Season
Behind these corporate memos are real people facing impossible decisions as 2025 comes to a close.
Consider Priya, a software engineer from India who hasn’t seen her aging parents in three years. This Christmas, her father is turning 70, but returning home for his birthday celebration could mean losing her job and uprooting her family’s life in California.
Or Jian, a researcher from China who received news that his grandmother is in failing health. The risk of being stuck overseas for a year makes even a final goodbye too dangerous to attempt.
These aren’t hypothetical scenarios—they’re the daily reality for thousands of H-1B workers ending 2025 with heavy hearts.
What H-1B Holders Should Do Right Now
If you’re on an H-1B visa as we close out 2025, here’s practical guidance:
Check your visa stamp immediately. Look at the actual stamp in your passport—not your I-797 approval notice or I-94. If your stamp is valid beyond your planned return date, you have more flexibility.
Cancel or postpone holiday travel if possible. As painful as this may be, the professional and personal risks of extended separation are severe.
Consult immigration counsel before any decisions. Speak with your company’s immigration attorney or a qualified immigration lawyer about your specific situation.
Monitor embassy appointment availability. If you must travel in early 2026, start checking appointment slots at relevant US embassies now.
Document everything. Keep records of all communications with your employer and immigration counsel regarding travel decisions.
Consider video calls instead. While not ideal, virtual holiday celebrations may be the safest option this season.
Impact on the Tech Industry
The H-1B program has been fundamental to America’s technology sector, enabling companies to recruit highly skilled talent, particularly from India and China. These workers fill critical roles in software development, data science, artificial intelligence, and other specialized fields that drive innovation.
However, 2025 has seen the program face intense scrutiny. The $10,000 application fee and enhanced vetting requirements have created uncertainty for both workers and employers. Some companies are reportedly reconsidering their reliance on the program, while others are exploring alternative visa categories or overseas hiring.
The current delays add yet another complication to an already complex situation, potentially impacting America’s competitive position in global tech talent acquisition.
What’s Next for 2026?
As December 2025 winds down, there’s no clear indication when embassy backlogs will ease. Immigration law firms continue monitoring the situation closely, but workers and employers remain in limbo.
The State Department has not announced plans to increase staffing at consular sections or streamline the new screening procedures. This suggests the delays could persist well into 2026, affecting workers’ ability to visit family, attend conferences, or handle international business travel.
The Bottom Line
For the thousands of H-1B visa holders employed by Google, Apple, and countless other American companies, the message as 2025 ends is unambiguous: stay in the United States if you possibly can.
The risk of leaving—missing a year of work, losing your job, disrupting your family’s life—is simply too great for most people to take, regardless of what’s happening back home.
As one immigration attorney put it: “We’re advising clients that unless it’s a life-or-death emergency, international travel right now is essentially career suicide.”
For those dreaming of a holiday reunion with family abroad, December 2025 has brought one of the toughest decisions they’ve ever had to make.
