I see a few possibilities: 1) Recruiter was misinformed and/or policies changed while you were interviewing. A lot of companies, including some of the big name

I see a few possibilities: 1) Recruiter was misinformed and/or policies changed while you were interviewing. A lot of companies, including some of the big names, have been changing their remote policies in 2022. They're also playing off each other and the hiring market, so the situation is evolving quickly. Given what I've seen lately, it's possible that they were hiring remotely when your process started but they ended that policy before you crossed the finish line. (EDIT: Op mentioned scheduling interviews around the holidays in a different comment. With such a long interview cycle, I'd expect changing policies is the most likely explanation) 2) Recruiter was lying. I actually don't think this is likely because the recruiter would just be wasting their time. Recruiters don't actually gain anything and lose a lot of opportunity cost by running dead-end candidates through the pipeline for jobs they know won't be accepted. 3) You might have been switched to a different opening or department during the interview process. If the initial hiring manager declined you, they may have found someone else who wanted to pick up the thread. They should have notified you about the difference, of course. 4) Finally, it's possible they decided you weren't a good fit for remote work. Hybrid remote/in-office companies are becoming more picky about who they're allowing to work remote because not everybody can handle it. Usually the strongest candidates are afforded remote opportunities, but borderline maybes will be asked to be on-site at the start so they can be closely mentored.