Amazon Breaks Office Rule for Stranded Indian H-1Bs

Amazon has offered temporary relief to H-1B employees stranded in India by relaxing its strict five day office rule. The decision comes amid ongoing scheduling disruptions that have left several workers unable to return to the United States.

The company is allowing eligible employees to work from home until March 2, 2026. This exception applies only to staff stuck in India due to H-1B visa delays, provided they were already in the country by December 13, 2025.

Reports say the update was shared through an internal company memo. Many H-1B employees had travelled to India for routine visa renewals but faced sudden appointment cancellations linked to new mandatory social media screening rules.

Despite the flexibility, Amazon has placed clear limits on remote work. Employees are not permitted to code, test software, deploy changes, or perform core engineering tasks during this period.

Workers are also barred from entering any Amazon office in India. Activities such as signing contracts, managing teams, or making decisions related to India operations are strictly prohibited.

This issue is not limited to Amazon alone. Tech giants like Microsoft and Google have reportedly advised H-1B employees to avoid international travel due to consular backlogs and the Trump administration’s tighter immigration measures.