Google and Apple have both issued rare ‘do-not-travel’ advisories to hundreds of UK-based employees after U.S. consulates reported visa-stamp appointment backlogs of six months or more. The move follows a wave of American executive orders in 2025 that expanded travel-ban lists and introduced additional social-media vetting for H-1B, L-1, F-1 and J-1 applicants.
In an internal memo seen by Travel & Tour World, the firms warn that staff who leave the country over Christmas risk being stranded abroad until mid-2026 because Automatic Visa Revalidation (AVR) is no longer honoured if a new stamp is requested. London-based software engineers report that the next available H-1B interview slot is June 2026, while L-1 managers face waits of “10 + months” at the U.S. Embassy in Grosvenor Square.
![UK Tech Giants Advise Staff to Avoid Holiday Travel as U.S. Visa Delays Escalate]()
Amid the chaos, employees looking for up-to-date visa guidance can turn to VisaHQ, which tracks U.S. consular appointment calendars in real time, flags sudden slot openings and provides document-checklist support for UK residents. A quick visit to https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/ lets travellers sign up for alerts and courier services that streamline submission, offering at least some predictability while London’s queues keep lengthening.
Immigration advisers say the log-jam reflects wider capacity strain: since October, U.S. travel bans under Presidential Proclamation 10998 have pushed more applicants into administrative processing. UK assignees from India and China are hit twice—first by delays in London, then by onward backlogs if they transit their home country. Employers are now reallocating projects to near-shore locations and offering remote-work options through the first quarter of 2026.
Practically, mobility teams are revoking all non-critical trips, reminding staff not to surrender their I-94 on departure, and scheduling emergency consultations with Fragomen and BAL. Analysts warn that if processing times are not stabilised before the FY-2027 H-1B cap season opens in March, Britain’s tech sector may lose talent to Canada and Ireland, which both run faster work-permit pathways.
In an internal memo seen by Travel & Tour World, the firms warn that staff who leave the country over Christmas risk being stranded abroad until mid-2026 because Automatic Visa Revalidation (AVR) is no longer honoured if a new stamp is requested. London-based software engineers report that the next available H-1B interview slot is June 2026, while L-1 managers face waits of “10 + months” at the U.S. Embassy in Grosvenor Square.
Amid the chaos, employees looking for up-to-date visa guidance can turn to VisaHQ, which tracks U.S. consular appointment calendars in real time, flags sudden slot openings and provides document-checklist support for UK residents. A quick visit to https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/ lets travellers sign up for alerts and courier services that streamline submission, offering at least some predictability while London’s queues keep lengthening.
Immigration advisers say the log-jam reflects wider capacity strain: since October, U.S. travel bans under Presidential Proclamation 10998 have pushed more applicants into administrative processing. UK assignees from India and China are hit twice—first by delays in London, then by onward backlogs if they transit their home country. Employers are now reallocating projects to near-shore locations and offering remote-work options through the first quarter of 2026.
Practically, mobility teams are revoking all non-critical trips, reminding staff not to surrender their I-94 on departure, and scheduling emergency consultations with Fragomen and BAL. Analysts warn that if processing times are not stabilised before the FY-2027 H-1B cap season opens in March, Britain’s tech sector may lose talent to Canada and Ireland, which both run faster work-permit pathways.
