As Amazon has come forward and announced that it would allow its H-1B employees stuck in India to work remotely, experts warned that US businesses risk hefty tax bills if they allow workers this option, as no one knows how long the delay may take. Thousands of H-1B workers are stuck in India since November as they went to India to get stamped for their H-1B visa, but after reaching India, they got to know that their interview schedules have been deferred to 2026.
The delay started as the State Department mandated a new social media vetting for every H-1B and H-4 application across the world. Indian H-1B holders were hit the hardest as Indian consular offices drastically reduced the number of per-day appointments after the social media vetting process began on December 15, 2025. Interview dates were randomly deferred and now applicants who had their dates in 2026 January and February received emails that their dates have been pushed to 2027 -- as a result of the cumulative postponement of dates since December.
