Fresh layoffs at Meta have once again sparked anxiety among Indian tech professionals working in the United States, particularly employees dependent on H-1B visas whose legal status is directly linked to their jobs.
The emotional impact of the layoffs gained attention after startup founder Shveta shared a viral post on social media highlighting the uncertainty faced by many Indian families abroad.
She described the situation of an Indian engineer working at Meta who reportedly received a layoff email late at night while his wife remained on an H-4 dependent visa and his child continued schooling in Seattle. With housing commitments, family responsibilities, and immigration deadlines suddenly becoming immediate concerns, the employee now reportedly has only 60 days to secure another sponsor under US immigration rules.
The post also criticized how layoffs tied to artificial intelligence restructuring are being viewed as “efficiency improvements” by major tech companies. According to the viral message, the growing AI transformation is disproportionately impacting Indian professionals employed overseas.
As part of its latest restructuring exercise, Meta has reportedly cut nearly 8,000 jobs, close to 10 percent of its workforce, while reallocating resources toward AI-focused divisions. Reports suggest employees received termination emails early in the morning informing them that their positions had been eliminated.
The company also reportedly instructed affected workers to collect their belongings and prepare for immediate deactivation of office access and internal systems. Employees were later redirected to the company’s Alumni Portal for information regarding severance packages, benefits, immigration guidance, and career support.
Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has been aggressively steering the company toward artificial intelligence expansion, with reports indicating that Meta could invest more than $100 billion into AI-related projects this year.
In an internal communication, the company acknowledged the added pressure faced by employees whose visas are sponsored through Meta. The memo reportedly stated that the company understands the difficulties for workers dependent on employer-sponsored work authorization and assured access to legal and immigration assistance through designated law firms and internal support systems.
Under current US immigration regulations, many H-1B visa holders who lose employment are typically granted a grace period of around 60 days to either find a new sponsoring employer or leave the country. For thousands of Indian professionals and their families, that deadline often turns layoffs into both a professional and personal crisis.
The latest round of cuts has once again highlighted the fragile reality faced by skilled immigrant workers in the rapidly changing global tech industry.
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