Aditi Bharade

I’m an OnlyFans model, Twitch streamer on an extraordinary artist visa

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This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Natalia Mogollon, a 38-year-old Colombian-Canadian Twitch streamer and OnlyFans model in Texas, who holds an O-1B extraordinary artist visa. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Living in this country has boosted my career in so many ways.

I had been living in Saskatchewan, Canada, for over a decade after moving there from Colombia after high school, and I was very lonely while creating content by myself. In 2021, I moved to Austin, Texas, to live around other creators and streamers.

Being a high earner on OnlyFans helped me get the O-1B visa, something I probably couldn’t have done if I were just a Twitch streamer.

How I got into OnlyFans

I never considered going into OnlyFans or sex work. But in 2021, my mom was really sick while working really hard in Colombia.

That year, OnlyFans reached out to me because I had a large Twitch following, about a million followers then.

Earning money on OnlyFans isn’t straightforward. This is something people don’t really understand, because they see OnlyFans creators broadcasting lavish lifestyles. I always tell people, “If you don’t have a following, you are not going to make money on the platform.”

It was very lucrative. The gig allowed me to help my mom retire and find an apartment in Colombia, and I’ve been taking care of her ever since.

Getting the O-1B visa

I got my O-1B visa first in 2022 and had it renewed in 2025, which is valid until 2028.

And the process has not been cheap.

I’ve had to shell out between $50,000 and $75,000 on lawyer fees and application for visas. Just to get the visa expedited cost thousands, as it would’ve taken me years to get it approved if I did not get it expedited.

I would’ve never been able to afford to pay all these lawyer fees if I didn’t have OnlyFans.

Being in the US boosted my career

In the visa application, I had to show that I was collaborating with influencers in the US. This was actually one of my main motivations for moving to this country.

I knew that moving would benefit my career. The amount of exposure that you get in the influencer industry by being with other influencers is huge. I live on the outskirts of Austin, where there’s a big group of influencers.

Content creators are looking to connect with other creators and collaborate. For 12 years in Canada, I did it all by myself and didn’t have anyone that I could confide in.

We deal with so many things no one else can understand, like stalkers, constant criticism, and being bombarded with people’s opinions about you. So it’s nice to have a community that relates to you.

But there’s another reason I like working in the US. The US doesn’t diminish my work. In the O-1 B visa application, I just had to show that I’m successful in my field, regardless of what that field is.

I don’t really know if I want to stay in the US forever. I know for sure I don’t want to grow old here and pay for medical bills in the US. But I see myself working and building out my career here for another 20 years.

There is a negative connotation to being an OnlyFans creator, but I do not have any regrets about it. If I had to do it all over again, I would do it exactly the same.




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Amazon allows visa workers stranded in India to work remotely with restrictions. Here’s what they can’t do.

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Amazon is allowing employees who are stranded in India because of visa delays to work remotely there until early March, according to an internal memo viewed by Business Insider.

The catch: They’re not allowed to code, make strategic decisions, or interact with customers.

Amazon is one of many American companies scrambling to adapt to the Trump administration’s rapid-fire changes to the H-1B visa program, including a mandate that consular officers must review visa applicants’ social media posts before issuing visas. The additional screening has delayed processing, and some embassies and consulates have rescheduled visa appointments by several months, leaving some employees stranded outside the country.

The delays have prompted Google, Apple, Microsoft, and other companies to issue travel advisories in recent weeks, warning US employees with visas to avoid international travel to prevent extended stays outside the US.

Amazon allows employees traveling abroad for visa renewals to work remotely for up to 20 business days, an exemption from the normal requirement that they work in their office five days a week. Now, any Amazon employee in India as of December 13 and who awaits a rescheduled visa appointment may work remotely until March 2, according to the memo, which was posted to Amazon’s internal HR portal on December 17.

The permission to work remotely comes with a long list of constraints. Employees working remotely from India are barred from coding of any kind, including troubleshooting and testing. They cannot work from or visit Amazon buildings. And they cannot negotiate or sign contracts.

“All reviews, final decision making, and sign offs should be undertaken outside India,” the memo says.

The memo also said that “in compliance with local laws, there are no exceptions to these restrictions.”

The memo does not provide guidance for employees whose visa appointments have been rescheduled beyond March 2, 2026, or for those stranded in a different country. Some US embassies and consulates have rescheduled appointments as far out as 2027.

Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

For employees in technical roles, the restrictions raised questions about what work they can actually perform.

“Seventy to eighty percent of my job is coding, testing, deploying, and documenting,” one Amazon software engineer told Business Insider.

A State Department spokesperson in December told Business Insider that the purpose of the social media reviews is to use “all available tools” to flag visa applicants who are inadmissible, including those who pose a risk to national interests.

The delays pose a particular challenge for Amazon, which is among the largest users of the H-1B program. During the 2024 government fiscal year, Amazon filed 14,783 certified H-1B applications, including 23 for Whole Foods, according to Business Insider’s analysis of publicly available data from the Department of Labor and US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Read the full memo below:

H-1B/H-4 Visa Appointment Postponement Issue – December 17, 2025

Temporary Remote Work Authorization

Effective immediately, impacted employees who were in India as of December 13, 2025, and are awaiting their rescheduled visa appointment may work remotely until March 2, 2026. You must follow all current limitations on remote work activities, including restrictions against coding. See the FAQs below for details.
We continue to monitor developments closely and will provide further updates as more information becomes available. In the meantime, if you need additional support please reach out by asking Aza or contacting MyHR Live Support to be connected to an HR expert. You and your household also have 24/7 access to a wide range of support and resources through Resources for Living.

Employee Guidance

The remote work grace period is subject to the same activity restrictions (listed below) as all current remote work guidance in India. In compliance with local laws, there are no exceptions to these restrictions. If you have questions, please work with your manager and HRBP to determine what activities you can engage in while abroad, based on these guidelines:
  • Do not code. This includes troubleshooting, testing, or documentation.
  • Do not work from or visit an Amazon building or site. All work must be remote from a residential address or other non-Amazon location.
  • Do not give the impression of authority to bind any Amazon entity or appoint an agent authorized to bind any Amazon entity to any contract or agreement.
  • Do not undertake any strategic business decisions, business planning, product management/development, and/or business development type activities.
  • Do not negotiate any contracts, sign/execute or otherwise conclude any contracts, or secure any orders, either in the approval tools and/or DocuSign (or via any other method).
  • Do not render any services to any customer (resident or otherwise) or to any Amazon entity in the country where the employee is remotely working, or otherwise perform any activity that directly benefits an Amazon entity in the country where remote working is taking place.
  • Do not perform any activity relating to directing, controlling, or supervising or facilitating the day-to-day operations of any Amazon local entity or employee of an Amazon local team in the country where the employee is working remotely.
  • Do not make hiring decisions for any Amazon entities in India.
  • Do not perform any activity related to managing any customer/partner/vendor relationship, such as discussing specific contract terms, pricing negotiations, placing orders, accepting orders, or soliciting sales.
  • All employment-related matters should continue to be decided by the respective legal employing entity, i.e. the Amazon U.S. entity.
  • All reviews, final decision making, and sign offs should be undertaken outside India.
  • AWS employees are expected to adhere to the AWS Operating Guidance whilst working remotely, the same way they would follow the guidance during normal times.

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Kaila Yu

I’m a business immigration lawyer. I’m telling my clients that if you have a valid visa stamp, return to the US now.

by with No Comment Xpandfy

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tahmina Watson, a business immigration lawyer in Seattle. Business Insider has verified Watson’s employment history with documentation. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I’m a business immigration lawyer, and in my day-to-day work with clients, I’m seeing immigration disruptions with immediate consequences, including H-1B visa holders who are outside the US being uncertain if they can return.

​​My law firm, Watson Immigration Law, assists founders and businesses in navigating the employment visa application process. It appears that, at this time, the administration is coordinating the rescheduling and delay of immigration appointments.

Non-immigrant visas generally must be scheduled at a US embassy or consulate in the person’s country of nationality or residence. From my experience, many employees accrue their holiday time and schedule immigration appointments during this period because they’re already planning to leave the country, allowing them to easily visit their designated US embassy or consulate.

These employees are now getting stuck, having already left the US, with their appointments getting rescheduled for June, July, or August 2026, and beyond.

A large group of H-1B work visa holders is stuck outside the country

Major tech companies, including Google, Apple, and Microsoft, sent memos out to their employees in the past week, warning visa-holding employees to avoid international travel amid long delays at US consulates. These policies are coming one after another, and they all intersect with each other.

The policies have created:

  • Visa-stamping delays at US embassies and consulates.
  • Expanded vetting and processing backlogs at consulates.
  • Increased risk that visa holders who travel cannot return to the US in a timely fashion.
  • Lack of guarantees once appointments are rescheduled.

If somebody is outside the country, what are employers supposed to do? Right now, my advice to clients outside the country is that if they have a valid visa stamp, they should return to the US as soon as possible.

We don’t know what changes could come, but I suggest that workers stuck abroad ask to work remotely

For someone who has left the country to obtain a new visa stamp, I’m not sure there’s a clear path to return. This includes individuals on F-1 student visas who traveled to visit family and were planning to re-enter the US. They will need that visa stamp from a consulate.

Ensure your employment is still active and consider whether remote work is an option. If an employer decides they cannot keep someone on the books, even an appointment months from now will not help if there’s no job waiting.

It’s tough to know how things will unfold. What we’re seeing is a confluence of policies coming in at the same time. For example, the Department of Homeland Security has just announced that it is replacing the lottery system for H-1B work visas, which randomly selects who receives a visa. The system is now set to prioritize higher-paid, higher-skilled workers.

Keeping social media accounts public is a good idea

Social media disclosure is being expanded from F-1 visa holders, which began during the student visa crisis, to now include H-1B workers. These applicants are required to change all social media privacy settings to public.

It could easily expand to other visa categories. The government has not provided clear guidance on what they are reviewing. By casting an overly broad net under the banner of national security, without clear standards or transparency, the administration is creating uncertainty that will ripple across families, employers, and the US economy.

Clients should limit what they post online.

My advice since November 2024 has remained the same: Avoid travel unless necessary

In 2024, I was already anticipating these issues with traveling and returning to the US. We’ve also seen issues affecting green card holders with past criminal convictions.

There are many stories of people who have lived in the US for decades, suddenly facing deportation proceedings. This is a highly precarious time for immigrants, and limiting travel is critical.

It feels like a fire hose of policies. Everyone in the immigrant ecosystem is on high alert: Immigration lawyers, immigrants, employers, investors, founders, and employees.




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Thibault

The US banned a former EU official’s visa over Big Tech rules — and the fight is playing out on X

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The US just escalated its clash with Europe over tech regulation.

The State Department said it has barred five Europeans, including the EU’s former Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton and four members of digital campaign groups, from entering the country over what it called “censorship” of tech platforms.

The visa bans were met with backlash from European leaders on X, who accused Washington of intimidation and political overreach.

The dispute centers on the EU’s Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act, which imposes obligations on major tech platforms — many of which are based in the US — to police content and curb anti-competitive behavior. Companies in breach of it can be fined up to 6% of their global annual revenue.

In a post on X late Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department would block leading figures of what he called “the global censorship-industrial complex” from entering the US.

“For far too long, ideologues in Europe have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose,” Rubio wrote. “The Trump Administration will no longer tolerate these egregious acts of extraterritorial censorship.”

In follow-up posts on Tuesday, Sarah B. Rogers, the undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, named Breton among the five European individuals sanctioned, accusing him of using the EU’s Digital Services Act to pressure Elon Musk and X during his tenure as commissioner for the internal market.

She also named Imran Ahmed of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, Clare Melford of the Global Disinformation Index, and HateAid leaders Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon, accusing them of pressuring US platforms over online speech. None of the four campaigners immediately responded to a Business Insider request for comment.

Rubio added that the US was “ready and willing to expand this list” unless officials reversed course, framing the move as a defense of free expression and US sovereignty.

European backlash

The back-and-forth has largely played out on X, a platform that was hit with a $140 million fine earlier this month for breaching the Digital Services Act.

Breton responded in Tuesday X post by invoking McCarthy-era politics, asking, “Is McCarthy’s witch hunt back?”

He added, “To our American friends: ‘Censorship isn’t where you think it is.'”

French President Emmanuel Macron also condemned the visa restrictions, describing them in a Wednesday X post as coercive measures aimed at undermining Europe’s digital sovereignty.

“The rules governing the European Union’s digital space are not meant to be determined outside Europe,” he said.

The European Commission “strongly” condemned the US decision, adding that the EU has the sovereign right to regulate its digital market and would seek clarification from US authorities.

“Freedom of speech is the foundation of our strong and vibrant European democracy,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X on Wednesday. “We are proud of it. We will protect it.”

Gérard Araud, France’s former ambassador to the US, said the dispute reflects a deeper rupture, writing on X that “the West” no longer exists and that Europe is now alone in defending its interests and values.

Daniel Fried, a former US ambassador to Poland and longtime US sanctions official, told Business Insider he could not recall a precedent for Washington imposing visa bans on a former European official in retaliation for policy decisions made in the course of their duties.

Similarly, Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, a senior fellow at the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, told Business Insider that he could not recall any historical precedent for the move, describing the visa bans as largely symbolic and unlikely to trigger meaningful retaliation.

Musk in the middle

The dispute has been years in the making — and Musk X has often been at the center of it.

Breton repeatedly clashed with Musk after he bought Twitter in 2022 and pledged to loosen moderation in the name of free speech.

As the then-internal market commissioner, Breton warned that X could face fines or even be barred from the European Union if it failed to comply with EU law, later overseeing a formal investigation into the platform regarding disinformation and content moderation.

Those confrontations turned X into a symbol of the broader transatlantic fight over who sets the rules for online speech — a conflict that has now spilled from regulation into geopolitics.




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Judge rejects bid to overturn Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa application fee

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A federal judge cleared the way for the Trump administration to slap a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications.

US District Judge Beryl Howell in Washington, DC, ruled Tuesday that the steep increase is lawful, handing the administration a win as it pushes to curb immigration and steer hiring toward US workers.

The US Chamber of Commerce and Association of American Universities, which challenged the policy in court, can appeal the decision.

This is a developing story; please check back for more.




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Pranav Dixit

Read the memos Google, Apple, Microsoft, and ServiceNow sent visa workers warning them not to travel

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The world’s largest technology companies are scrambling to manage a growing crisis affecting thousands of their employees on work visas, as new social media screening requirements trigger delays at US embassies and consulates worldwide.

Google, Apple, Microsoft, and ServiceNow have all sent advisories to visa-holding employees in recent days, warning them against international travel and describing appointment delays stretching up to a year.

The memos, sent by immigration law firms representing these companies or by their internal legal teams, paint a picture of mounting uncertainty for foreign workers who form a critical part of the tech industry’s workforce.

The warnings come as American embassies have postponed routine visa stamping appointments, leaving some employees already abroad unable to return to work in the US for extended periods.

For H-1B holders, the primary work visa used by tech companies, the situation creates a particularly difficult bind. If their visa stamp expires and they travel abroad, they must obtain a new stamp at a consulate before re-entering the US. With appointments now being rescheduled months into the future, what would typically be a routine trip home has become a potential career disruption lasting up to a year.

On Friday, a spokesperson for the Department of State told Business Insider it was now conducting “online presence reviews for applicants.” The department said it may move appointments as resources change, with applicants able to request expedited slots on a case-by-case basis.

“While in the past the emphasis may have been on processing cases quickly and reducing wait times, our embassies and consulates around the world, including in India, are now prioritizing thoroughly vetting each visa case above all else,” the State Department spokesperson said. Appointments in Ireland and Vietnam have also been postponed, according to immigration firm Reddy Neumann Brown PC.

Below are the full texts of the internal memos sent to employees at these companies, obtained by Business Insider, which reveal how corporate America is responding to the visa processing slowdown.

Google declined to comment, while Microsoft, Apple, and ServiceNow did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

Microsoft


Microsoft

Microsoft has advised its visa-holding workers not to travel.

Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images



Below is the text of a memo sent by Jack Chen, Microsoft’s associate general counsel for immigration.

Update #1 on H-1B/H-4 Visa Appointment Rescheduling and Stamping Delays
Hi everyone,
As shared yesterday, some U.S. consulates are rescheduling existing H-1B/H-4 visa appointments and pushing dates out by several months. Here’s what we know:
  • Rescheduling notifications are concentrated in Chennai and Hyderabad, with some unverified reports from other consulates. New dates are as far out as June 2026.
  • The delays stem from operational constraints tied to the new online presence review for H-1B/H-4 visas, effective December 15, which reduces daily processing capacity. We’re also hearing that these consulates needed time to implement new vetting procedures.
  • We have no confirmed reports of rescheduling for other visa types yet. While only H-1B/H-4, F, J, and M visas are subject to the online presence review, we think secondary impacts on overall processing may emerge.
  • We don’t know if rescheduling is ongoing, for those whose original visa appointments have not been changed.
Some employees have already traveled for appointments and received rescheduling notices without warning; others are getting notices before departure. To set expectations, it is highly unlikely emergency appointments will be granted, given the circumstances.
This is a rapidly developing situation. Here is our preliminary guidance, which we’ll update as we learn more. Please read this next section carefully—I’ve tried to simplify it, but the details do matter:

For those currently outside the U.S.:

  • You need a new visa stamp + your H-1B visa appointment was rescheduled months later: We will contact you. Please follow the instructions below to report your situation (even if you’ve already contacted AskUSI).
  • Your H-1B visa appointment was rescheduled BUT you still have some validity left on your current visa stamp: If your visa is for the proper work-authorized category, return before your current visa expires. This situation applies for people who had scheduled visa appointments because their visas are expiring soon, not before the return to the U.S. is planned.

For those still in the U.S.:

  • You have upcoming travel + will need a new visa to return + your H-1B visa appointment was rescheduled months later: You should strongly consider changing your travel plans. You cannot return until your new visa stamp is issued, and it’s highly unlikely that the appointment can be moved earlier. And there are limitations to your ability to perform work for your U.S. role during that period. See Microsoft Global Mobility Payroll and Tax Compliance Policy.
  • You have upcoming travel + will need a new visa to return BUT your H-1B visa appointment has not been rescheduled: There is risk your appointment could be moved during your trip and result in you being stuck abroad. Factor this into your decision. We are still learning more about how widespread and significant delays are in other consulates.
For other visa categories (not H-1B/H-4, F, J, M): Proceed as planned for now, but note things can change quickly.

HOW YOU CAN HELP US IDENTIFY TRENDS

To track real-time impacts, we need data from employees whose appointments have been rescheduled or may be soon. This will help us identify:
  • Which consulates are affected
  • When notifications of rescheduling are being sent
  • Length of delays
  • Whether other visa types are impacted
If you have a visa appointment scheduled with a U.S. consulate for any visa category, we’ve created a survey where you can share these details with us. And importantly, the survey allows you to update your responses—for example, if you haven’t been rescheduled when you originally complete this survey, but subsequently receive a rescheduling notification. This form is also the clearest way for us to identify employees who are currently outside the U.S. and cannot return until a new visa stamp is issued: Census of Upcoming Visa Stamping Appointments — Fill out form
We’ll share out insights based on these responses and further information we’re able to gather by the end of the week.
For employees currently stuck abroad—we know this is an anxious moment. We will provide clear and orderly guidance to you directly as soon as we can.

Google


Google

Lawyers for Google told the company’s visa-holding staffers that visa processing is facing delays as long as a year.

Cheng Xin/Getty Images



Below is the text of an email sent by Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL), the immigration firm that represents Google.

Hi everyone,
Please be aware that some U.S. Embassies and Consulates are experiencing significant visa stamping appointment delays, currently reported as up to 12 months.
Due to high demand and enhanced screening for H-1B, H-4, F, J and M visas, visa processing is taking longer than usual. If you require a new visa stamp to re-enter the U.S., we recommend avoiding international travel at this time as you risk an extended stay outside the U.S.
We encourage you to review go/bal-travel-advisory. If you have any questions, reach out to schedule a consultation with a BAL attorney at go/getsupport.
Thank you,
BAL

Apple


Apple

Apple also sent memos to visa-holding workers warning them of extended delays in visa processing.

Andrej Sokolow/picture alliance via Getty Images



Below is the text of an email sent by Apple’s immigration team.

Given the recent updates and the possibility of unpredictable, extended delays when returning to the US, we strongly recommend that employees without a valid H-1B visa stamp avoid international travel for now. If travel cannot be postponed, employees should connect with Apple Immigration and Fragomen in advance to discuss the risks.

ServiceNow


ServiceNow

ServiceNow, an IT automation firm, told its visa holders that a new immigration policy requiring the vetting of social media is causing delays in processing.

Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images



Below is the text of an email sent by ServiceNow’s Global Mobility Team.

Potential cancellation of US consulate appointments for H-1B and H-4 visa holders

Global Mobility update

What to know
The US State Department has announced that some consulate appointments for individuals holding H-1B and H-4 visas are being canceled due to a newly implemented review process that examines applicants’ online presence, including social media activity.
This change primarily affects foreign nationals with appointments scheduled on or after December 15, 2025, at US consulates in India who require visa stamps to return to the United States. However, it could also impact other visa types and consulates in the future.
Please see the Fragomen client alert here.
Notification process
If your appointment is affected by this process change, you will receive an email from the consulate with a cancellation notice and a new appointment, which in some cases could be as late as November 2026.
If you’re outside the U.S. right now
  • If you need a new visa stamp and your H-1B visa appointment has been delayed by several months: Reach out to your manager as soon as possible to discuss whether an exception to the 30-day Work from Anywhere policy is warranted.
  • If your H-1B appointment has been delayed, but your current visa stamp is still valid: If your visa category allows you to work in the U.S., we recommend you return before your current visa expires.
Exceptions and emergency appointments
If your appointment has been cancelled or rescheduled, you may apply for an emergency expedited appointment if you meet one of the following criteria:
  1. Death in the family
  2. Medical need / Family Emergency
  3. Potential loss of substantial revenue, profits, or contracts for the company
We have heard that the expedited consulate appointment process is resulting in an earlier appointment, so you are encouraged to try this approach by completing the request form. Please review the Expedited Consulate Appointments site for additional details.
Working from India or any location using the Work from Anywhere exception
If delay would materially impact revenue/contracts or there’s a medical/family emergency, ServiceNow will review and approve exceptions to the 30-day Work from Anywhere guidelines on a case-by-case basis.
Travel guidance
If you’re planning travel, please consult with Fragomen for guidance before making any arrangements. If you have upcoming trips to India that require a consulate appointment for visa stamping to return to the U.S., we recommend cancelling those plans. Otherwise, you risk significant delays in securing an appointment to apply for a visa stamp.
Support
If you have questions about consulate appointment cancellations or upcoming travel, you can reach out to Fragomen through the Fragomen Messenger feature within the Fragomen Connect Portal or submit a request to the Global Mobility team.
The Global Mobility Team

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The US is now reviewing the social media of certain visa applicants. Here’s what you need to know.

by with No Comment Xpandfy

The United States is reviewing the social media accounts of some visa applicants, adding another hurdle for workers and other visitors to clear under the Trump administration.

It’s also adding a hurdle for embassies processing those visa applications.

The State Department said in June that certain visa applicants would have their online activity vetted as part of its screening process. Six months later, the department expanded the list of visas that were subject to “online presence reviews.”

The new rule has complicated the visa application process, causing significant delays for approvals.

They have also rattled some companies, including Google and Apple, whose legal counsels have advised staffers requiring a visa stamp to re-enter the US not to leave the country due to extended processing times resulting from the new requirements.

Consular offices began conducting online presence reviews for H-1B applicants on December 15, but they’re not the only ones affected.

Here is what you need to know.

Who does the social media reviews impact?

Earlier this month, a State Department spokesperson told Business Insider that the US is requiring H-1B visa applicants and their dependents to make their social media accounts public so consular officers can review their activity.

The H-1B visa program enables companies to temporarily employ foreign skilled workers in specialized roles. Data collected from the Department of Labor showed that almost 50% of H-1B applications are in “professional, scientific, and technical” fields. They are commonly relied on in the tech industry.

The State Department said international students and exchange visitors are also subject to “online presence” reviews, specifically for F, M, and J non-immigrant visa applicants.

In its memo, Google’s legal counsel told staffers that lengthy processing delays were affecting H-1B, H-4, F, J, and M visa holders.

Why the US is reviewing social media

Federal agencies under President Donald Trump are enforcing stricter and more restrictive immigration policies.

In January, Trump issued an executive order aimed at enhancing immigration screening. It was meant to protect American citizens from those the administration says “intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes.”

Trump expanded upon that executive order in June and then again this week. Combined, those subsequent orders partially or fully restrict entry for citizens from 25 countries.

In September, the Trump administration also began charging a $100,000 fee for new H-1B applications.

It cast the fee as a corrective. Trump said that the H-1B system had strayed from its original purpose of filling high-skilled worker shortages and was instead being “deliberately exploited to replace, rather than supplement, American workers with lower-paid, lower-skilled labor.”

In its announcement about the social media checks on December 3, the State Department said the changes were meant to increase national security.

“A US visa is a privilege, not a right,” a spokesperson for the State Department told Business Insider at the time. “In every visa case, we will take the time necessary to ensure an applicant does not pose a risk to the safety and security of the United States.”

What to do (and not do) if you are affected

It might be tempting to delete your social media accounts, but it’s not that simple.

The law firm Davis Wright Tremaine advised in a post on its website that visa applicants should review their social media to ensure there is no information that might contradict the details submitted in their applications. The law firm Duane Morris advised against deleting posts or profiles. If an immigration official notices, it could be seen as evasive.

Perhaps the most important thing a visa applicant can do is stay in the US during the process.

Shaun Foster, an immigration attorney who owns the firm PampaninFoster based in Cambridge, Mass., told Business Insider in a LinkedIn message that he is encouraging clients on H-1B visas to play it safe.

“We’ve continued to emphasize generally to stay in the US, and to keep moving forward in working toward your immigration goals from within the US,” he wrote. “We’re much better positioned, as immigration counsel, to more strongly assist and guide people from within the US. There’s less control when you start integrating international consular elements.”

How companies are reacting

Lawyers for Google and Apple have already advised some employees on visas not to travel outside the US due to delays at embassies stemming from the increased scrutiny.

“Please be aware that some US Embassies and Consulates are experiencing significant visa stamping appointment delays, currently reported as up to 12 months,” Google’s legal counsel wrote in a memo sent on Thursday to employees on visas.

Fragomen, a law firm that represents Apple, similarly said in a memo sent last week to some visa holders at the company that they should refrain from travel.

“Given the recent updates and the possibility of unpredictable, extended delays when returning to the US, we strongly recommend that employees without a valid H-1B visa stamp avoid international travel for now,” the memo said.

Both memos were seen by Business Insider.

Those companies and many others are still smarting after Trump imposed the $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applicants in September.

After that order, which initially didn’t specify that it only applied to new applicants, human resources teams at companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Salesforce, JPMorgan, and Zoom sent warnings to staffers advising them not to leave the US if they’re on an H-1B visa.

In one case, dozens of H-1B holders on an Emirates flight out of San Francisco began deplaning as soon as they received the news alert.

The widespread panic in corporate America forced the Trump administration to clarify that the fee would only apply to new visa applicants, not existing visa holders.




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Google warns some visa employees not to leave the US due to ‘significant’ return delays of up to a year

by with No Comment Xpandfy

Google has advised some employees on visas not to travel outside the US due to delays at embassies, Business Insider has learned.

The company’s outside counsel BAL Immigration Law sent an email on Thursday advising staff who require a visa stamp to re-enter the US not to leave the country because visa processing was taking longer than usual, according to a copy of the memo reviewed by Business Insider.

“Please be aware that some US Embassies and Consulates are experiencing significant visa stamping appointment delays, currently reported as up to 12 months,” the memo read. It was recommended that employees avoid international travel as they would “risk an extended stay outside the US.”

American consulates and embassies around the world are seeing delays with routine visa appointments following the introduction of a new social media screening requirement, which applies to H-1B visa workers and their dependents, as well as students and exchange visitors.

On Friday, a spokesperson for the Department of State told Business Insider it was conducting “online presence reviews for applicants.” The department said it may move appointments as resources change, with applicants able to request expedited slots on a case-by-case basis.

“While in the past the emphasis may have been on processing cases quickly and reducing wait times, our embassies and consulates around the world, including in India, are now prioritizing thoroughly vetting each visa case above all else,” the State Department spokesperson said. Appointments in Ireland and Vietnam have also been postponed, according to immigration firm Reddy Neumann Brown PC.

Google’s lawyers said in the memo that the delays were affecting H-1B, H-4, F, J, and M visas. The advisory did not specify what anyone on a visa already outside the country with a postponed appointment should do.

A Google spokesperson declined to comment.

How enhanced visa vetting can complicate a routine trip abroad

Google’s warning echoes a wave of internal travel advisories that swept through corporate America in September, as the Trump administration imposed a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas.

The H-1B visa typically lasts up to three years and can often be extended. If someone needs a new H-1B visa stamp, they typically must apply at a US embassy or consulate in their home country or a country where they have lawful residence.

As a general matter, said immigration attorney Jason Finkelman, who focuses on employment and family immigration, foreign nationals should be able to return to the US after travel abroad if they have a valid visa stamp and aren’t subject to any entry restrictions, including the Trump administration’s expanded travel ban, which the White House says takes effect January 1.

That’s where enhanced vetting can complicate an otherwise routine trip. If an H-1B worker leaves the US to get a new visa stamp and their consular appointment is canceled or delayed — sometimes by months — they can be stuck abroad until the visa is issued.

“My advice to clients is that if travel isn’t essential right now, better to stay put,” Finkelman said.

A spokesperson for the Department of State said consular officers “do not issue a visa unless the applicant can credibly demonstrate they meet all requirements under US law — including that they intend to engage only in activities consistent with the terms of their visa.”

The H-1B program, which is capped at 85,000 new visas a year, serves as a core pipeline for employers hiring skilled foreign workers. Tech giants have long been among the largest users of the visa, with companies such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Meta topping the lists of approved new H-1B petitions in recent years. 

Under the Trump administration, the program has become a political flash point, with the White House framing H-1Bs as a threat to American jobs and rolling out measures that critics and employers say make it harder and more expensive to hire new workers.




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