‘H-1Bs are on payroll while they wait…’: US investor says Amazon’s remote work policy ‘doesn’t really let Indians do their jobs’ – The Times of India

Amazon has implemented a temporary remote work policy for employees stranded in India due to H-1B visa delays, but the company’s latest memo makes it clear that these workers cannot actually perform most of their duties.US investor and Ed-Tech chairman Hany Girgis weighed in on the situation atThe memo outlines strict restrictions: Employees are not allowed to code, test, troubleshoot, make strategic decisions, communicate with customers, negotiate contracts or access Amazon buildings. All final approvals and decisions must be made outside India. In short, employees can remain on the payroll, but cannot perform the work themselves because the job must remain legally in the United States.The memo was posted on Amazon’s internal HR portal on December 17 and gives affected employees in India the option to work remotely from December 13, 2025 until March 2, 2026. Normally, Amazon requires employees to work in the office five days a week, but this is a temporary exception.The policy comes amid other larger challenges from H-1B visa delays, which have been exacerbated by additional screening requirements including social media and digital footprint checks mandated under the Trump administration. Many consulates and embassies have postponed appointments by several months, preventing some employees from entering the US. Companies such as Google, Apple and Microsoft have issued travel warnings to prevent employees from being stranded abroad.For employees in technical roles, the restrictions severely limit their work, as most of their duties involve coding, testing and deployment, according to the Business Insider. Amazon is one of the largest users of H-1B visas, with nearly 14,800 certified applications in fiscal year 2024, including 23 for Whole Foods.Girgis even asked why the US doesn’t still practice ‘America First’ by hiring Native Americans: “If the work has to stay here, why not the workforce?”His comments come as MAGA executives have urged the Republican administration to permanently ban H1-Bs, saying the program unfairly steals jobs and opportunities from domestic U.S. workers and gives them to foreign workers.