Apple, Google and others tell some foreign employees to avoid traveling out of the country

H-1B is a high-skilled immigration visa program that allows employers to sponsor work visas for individuals with specialised skills. The program, capped at 85,000 new visas per year, is a channel for American tech giants to source skilled workers, such as software engineers. — AFP

Big Tech companies, including Apple, Google, Microsoft, and ServiceNow, have warned employees on visas to avoid leaving the country amid uncertainty about changing immigration policy and procedures.

Following an attack on National Guard members in Washington, the Trump administration expanded travel bans earlier this month, and beefed up vetting and data collection for visa applicants. The new policy now includes screening the social media history of some visa applicants and their dependents.