As H-1B visa delays continue to disrupt the lives of thousands of foreign workers, Amazon has made a rare exception to its strict return-to-office policy. The company is temporarily allowing certain employees stranded in India to work remotely until March 2, 2026, offering short-term relief to staff caught in prolonged US visa processing backlogs.

The decision applies to employees who were in India as of December 13, 2025, and are still waiting for H-1B visa appointment slots. According to an internal memo posted on Amazon’s HR portal and reported by Business Insider, this flexibility comes in response to mounting uncertainty caused by delayed consular appointments and enhanced visa scrutiny.

The current disruptions stem from a policy change by the US Department of State, which expanded digital vetting for employment-based visas starting December 15, 2025. Since then, visa interview slots have become scarce, leaving many workers unable to return to the US after travelling abroad for personal or family reasons. With no clear timeline for processing, Amazon opted to introduce a temporary work-from-India arrangement rather than place affected employees on extended unpaid leave.

Under normal circumstances, Amazon limits overseas remote work to a maximum of 20 business days. This latest exception, therefore, marks a significant deviation from company policy—though it comes with firm guardrails.

Employees permitted to work remotely from India face strict restrictions on the scope of their responsibilities. The memo outlines that they cannot engage in coding, software testing, development work, code deployment, or quality assurance activities. Many core engineering functions are effectively off-limits, limiting employees largely to non-technical or support-related tasks.

Additionally, these employees are not allowed to work from or visit any Amazon office in India. They are also barred from signing or negotiating contracts, managing teams, or making strategic or operational decisions related to Amazon’s Indian business. The memo explicitly states that “all reviews, final decision-making, and sign-offs should be undertaken outside India,” citing the need to comply with both US and Indian legal frameworks.

Amazon has emphasised that these rules are non-negotiable. Employees have been instructed to work closely with their managers and HR representatives to ensure their daily activities remain compliant. The company has also warned that any violations could result in legal exposure or internal policy action.

Amazon is not alone in facing the fallout from extended H-1B delays. Other major technology firms, including Google, Apple, and Microsoft, have reportedly advised visa-holding employees to avoid international travel altogether, warning that consular backlogs could leave them stuck abroad for months—or longer.

The issue is particularly significant for Amazon due to its heavy reliance on foreign talent. In the 2024 US fiscal year alone, the company filed 14,783 certified H-1B applications, making it one of the largest corporate users of the programme.

For now, the temporary work-from-India policy offers limited relief but little long-term certainty. With visa delays showing no immediate signs of easing, many affected employees remain in limbo, hoping that processing timelines improve before the March deadline expires.