Google’s Visa Advisory: Up to 12-Month Delays Affect Reentry Plans

Google has warned some employees in the United States 🇺🇸 on temporary visas not to leave the country because coming back could take “up to 12 months,” after U.S. consulates began pushing visa stamping appointments far into 2026, according to a company advisory reported by Business Insider on Dec. 18–19, 2025. The message, sent by Google’s outside immigration counsel, BAL Immigration Law, says staff who would need a new visa stamp to re-enter should avoid non‑essential travel. The warning covers many of the workers and students who power Silicon Valley—people on H‑1B and H‑4 visas, along with F, J, and M visa holders—at a time when holiday travel is usually routine. For many, a trip to see family carries the risk of being stuck abroad.

Why this is happening: changes at consulates and extra screening

Lawyers and employers say the immediate cause is a change in how the State Department reviews some nonimmigrant cases. Reporting and law‑firm updates cited in the memo say posts started canceling or rescheduling interviews that were set on or after Dec. 15, 2025, when expanded “online presence review” took effect.

• This review can include a deeper look at an applicant’s social media and other online activity.
• It often means each case takes longer at the consular window.
• Consular sections have cut the number of interviews they can handle each day and have sent more cases into administrative processing—an extra screening that can stretch from days to months.

The result is a bottleneck that hits workers hardest when their visa stamp has expired.

Who the advisory covers and the practical implications

BAL Immigration Law told Google employees the advisory applied to the most common work and study visas:

• H‑1B and H‑4 (workers and their families)
• F visas (students)
• J and M visas (exchange and vocational programs)

The practical point the memo stressed:

• People can often keep lawful status while inside the United States 🇺🇸 even if the visa sticker in the passport has expired.
• However, they generally cannot return after travel without a fresh visa stamp.

In high‑demand locations such as India, hundreds of applicants described appointments being canceled weeks before departure and replaced with new dates months later. Some interview slots shifted to mid‑2026 or beyond, mirroring reports elsewhere as posts adjust to the new rules.

Visa stamp vs. status — why this is confusing and consequential

That split between visa stamping and status is confusing and is why corporate travel warnings hit hard.

• A visa stamp is a travel document: it lets a person ask for entry at the border.
• Status is the legal permission to stay and work while already in the country, shown through approval notices and an I‑94 record.

Many H‑1B workers keep working with an unexpired petition even if the passport stamp is out of date. But the moment they fly out for a wedding, funeral, or business trip, the stamp becomes the gatekeeper.

The State Department posts some appointment data publicly on its visa appointment wait times page, but applicants say sudden cancellations are harder to predict and can change without warning.

“A visa stamp is the gatekeeper; status keeps you working inside the U.S., but it doesn’t let you re-enter after travel without a fresh stamp.”

Personal and financial stakes for affected workers

For Indian professionals—who make up one of the largest groups of H‑1B holders—the stakes are personal and financial.

• People waiting for equity grants like restricted stock units (RSUs) to vest or those who must show continuous employment to preserve immigration options fear long stays outside the U.S. could trigger job loss or missed pay.
• Employers worry about project deadlines when a key engineer can’t get back to the office, even if remote work is possible.

VisaVerge.com reports that rescheduling has pushed some interviews to March 2026 or later, tightening travel windows families rely on for school breaks and caregiving visits. Several lawyers say clients are delaying trips until key milestones pass.

Government rationale and worker impacts

Government statements cited in reports say the State Department is prioritizing deeper vetting, including online checks, even if that slows appointment throughput. Officials argue visa screening is a national security function and that new tools help catch fraud and security risks not evident in paperwork.

Still, the pace of change has rattled workers who plan travel months ahead and book flights and leave. They worry a last‑minute cancellation could leave them abroad with rent, loans, and jobs still tied to the United States 🇺🇸 for many months.

Breadth of the problem: not just Google, not just work visas

The problems extend beyond Google and beyond work visas:

• Visitor visa lines for business and tourism remain long, with waits in many places measured in months.
• What makes the current round different is the mix of high demand and lower daily capacity after the new review steps.
• Even after an interview, extra questions about online activity, travel history, and employment can trigger administrative processing, which usually has no clear end date and can require a consulate to keep the passport.

For families, this can mean missing school start dates, medical care, and important life events.

Third‑country interviews and reduced options

For years, some workers sought interviews in a third country (third‑country national processing) to speed renewals. Now:

• Posts are dealing with their own backlogs and stricter rules about who they will accept.
• That reduces the viability of third‑country options, trapping applicants in the same congested queues they tried to avoid.

The net effect: employers are planning as if travel is effectively off‑limits.

The Google memo’s effect and employee reactions

Google’s memo drew attention because of the company’s size and the steady flow of employees who need yearly visa renewals. The advisory targeted employees who might need a fresh stamp—not those whose stamps would remain valid through travel.

Reactions include:

• Employees saying December trips are often the only chance to see aging parents, attend weddings, or handle critical paperwork.
• Concerns about students and spouses on dependent visas who may travel separately and face varying appointment rules.
• The memo’s blunt guidance—avoid travel unless it is essential—has turned routine planning into a risk calculation for thousands.

A single canceled slot can upend childcare plans and careers.

Limited options once abroad — advice from immigration lawyers

Immigration lawyers advising employers say there are few quick fixes once a person has left and needs a new stamp:

1. Some consulates allow expedited interview requests.
2. Posts sometimes hold emergency appointments for urgent travel, though eligibility varies and approval is not guaranteed.
3. Check whether a separate I‑94 record or a separate biometrics appointment remains in place if an interview moves—because a canceled interview can still disrupt the whole sequence.

The safest option many lawyers recommend:

• Stay in the United States 🇺🇸 until a stamp renewal is truly needed, especially for workers who can keep status through an approved petition.

That advice feels harsh but reflects how little control applicants currently have over consular calendars.

Employer planning and long‑term implications

Inside companies, the warning has forced managers and HR teams to prepare for absences that would have sounded extreme a year ago.

• If visa stamping can take “up to 12 months,” employers may need backup plans for roles that cannot go unfilled.
• Families might delay major moves like home purchases or school transfers.
• Firms are discussing whether remote work from abroad is allowed and how payroll, taxes, and export controls would work if a worker is stuck outside the United States 🇺🇸.

The State Department has not promised a quick return to pre‑change interview volumes. Sources characterize the shift as a choice: deeper checks first, speed second. That tradeoff is now landing on ordinary travelers.

Practical steps and final takeaways

Many visa holders are watching embassy notices as closely as airline prices, refreshing appointment portals and hoping slots open. Key practical guidance from lawyers in the reports:

• First question before any trip: Will you need a new stamp to come back?
• If the answer is yes, consider delaying travel, staying employed, and keeping documents ready in case an earlier appointment unexpectedly appears.
• Expect unpredictability: appointment dates can vanish or be pushed months into the future.

Important warning: if you must leave and need a new stamp to re‑enter, be prepared for the possibility of being delayed for months — even up to 12 months — and for limited options to speed the process once abroad.