Google and Apple are said to be warning employees on visas to avoid international travel

Law firms representing Google and Apple have warned that employees who need a visa stamp to return to the United States should avoid leaving the country due to longer-than-usual visa processing times, according to Business Insider.

BI says it has seen submissions from BAL Immigration Law (which represents Google) and Fragomen (which represents Apple).

“Due to recent updates and the potential for extended and unexpected delays upon returning to the United States, we strongly recommend that employees who do not have a valid H-1B visa stamp avoid international travel at this time,” Fragomen’s memo said.

A Foreign Office spokesperson told BI that embassies are “now prioritizing comprehensive screening of each visa case above all else.”

Salon also reports that “hundreds” of Indian professionals who traveled to their home country to renew their US work visas in December have had their appointments at the US Embassy canceled or rescheduled due to new social media screening requirements.

TechCrunch has reached out to Google and Apple for comment. Both companies, along with other large tech employers, issued similar warnings in September when the White House announced that employers would have to pay a $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications.