In September 2025, Amazon, Google and Microsoft reportedly advised H-1B employees to stay in the United States or return quickly if they were already abroad. The warnings followed a new federal restriction tied to certain H-1B petitions. They were not a government order that every existing H-1B visa holder had to return by the deadline. The restriction was later extended through September 21, 2027, so its current effect on an individual traveler depends on the person’s circumstances and current official guidance.
Why the companies reportedly sent urgent travel warnings
The warnings were linked to a White House proclamation signed September 19, 2025. It took effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on September 21, 2025, and established a $100,000 payment condition, subject to exceptions, for covered H-1B petitions. With the deadline only days away, employers had reason to alert workers whose travel or immigration plans might be affected.
TechCrunch reported on September 21, 2025, that Amazon, Google and Microsoft had urged H-1B employees to remain in the country and that employees already traveling should try to return before the change took effect. The article described internal emails reported by other outlets: Business Insider published the Amazon and Microsoft memos, while another outlet published Google’s memo. A Microsoft spokesperson declined to comment to TechCrunch. The messages should therefore be described as reported internal guidance, not as a jointly confirmed public announcement by the companies. TechCrunch’s September 21, 2025 report
Who the 2025 restriction covered—and what it did not say
The State Department’s notice on September 21, 2025, described the restriction as applying to people seeking visa issuance or entry based on H-1B petitions filed after the proclamation’s effective date. It also said that no visas had been revoked pursuant to the proclamation. That scope is narrower than saying every person who already held an H-1B visa had to pay $100,000 to return to the United States. State Department notice, last updated September 21, 2025
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An employer’s cautious travel warning is not the same as a definitive ruling about every worker’s eligibility to travel or re-enter. The official notice framed the affected group around petition filing dates and people seeking visa issuance or entry; it did not establish a single answer for every existing visa, approved petition or travel scenario.
The restriction was extended in 2026
On September 18, 2026, the White House published a proclamation extending the restriction for another 12 months, through September 21, 2027, subject to any further extension. It repeats the $100,000 payment condition and exceptions. This later action updates the policy timeline; it does not turn the companies’ September 2025 emails into current company travel instructions. White House proclamation, September 18, 2026
The proclamation explains that the restriction would expire 12 months after its effective date, “absent extension,” and sets that date as 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on September 21, 2026. The same proclamation then orders the extension through September 21, 2027.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What H-1B employees should check before traveling
The broad news report cannot determine the outcome for a particular traveler. Petition filing date, visa status and individual circumstances matter, and the official materials cited here do not resolve every case under the 2026 extension. Before making travel plans, an employee should:
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- Check the latest official government guidance, including the State Department’s notice and the White House proclamation.
- Confirm relevant petition and visa details with their employer’s immigration team or qualified immigration counsel.
- Avoid treating a 2025 internal warning as a current, personalized guarantee of either re-entry or a travel ban.
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