Thousands of Indians on H-1B visas are affected by layoffs in the US tech sector. If they lose their job, they have to find a new job sponsor within 60 days, otherwise they have to leave America. This crisis is affecting his entire life and family.
Many people dream of getting this medal after returning from abroad. Especially the craze of going to America is very high in India. Parents also proudly tell that their son, daughter or son-in-law has come from America. For this reason, the number of people going to America, especially software engineers, is very high. More than 50 lakh Indians live in America. Most of these people have gone to work on H-1B visas. But now a big crisis has come upon these people. There is a massive job loss in America’s tech sector, which has derailed the lives of thousands of Indian engineers and software developers settled there. The lives of people who have been working for years, have bought houses and settled with their families are being changed by an email from the company.
Jobs given to 1.10 lakh employees
According to a data site named Layoffs.fyi, so far this year more than 1 lakh 10 thousand employees in the tech industry have lost their jobs. A large number of these are foreign workers, especially Indians, who take maximum advantage of the H-1B visa program. US government figures for the financial year 2025 also show that the maximum number of H-1B visas have been approved for Indians.
layoffs in big companies
Big companies like Meta, Amazon and LinkedIn are laying off employees on a large scale due to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation. For Indian professionals, losing a job not only means a loss of money, but it also marks the beginning of the countdown to leaving the country.
Crisis of H-1B visa people
Most Indian tech professionals working in the US are on H-1B visa, which is directly linked to their company. The biggest challenge they face after losing their job is time. Under US immigration rules, they have very little time to find another company to transfer their visa. If they are unable to find a new sponsor within this time, they are legally required to leave the United States. This impacts their entire life, because it is not just about finding a job, but also about children’s education, home loan, healthcare and the future of the family.
What is the 60 day H-1B rule?
According to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) rules, fired H-1B workers generally receive a ‘grace period’ of 60 days, or as long as their I-94 status is valid, whichever comes first. This 60-day grace period starts from the employee’s last day of work and not from the day he receives his last salary. During this time, they may look for a new job, apply for another visa, or prepare to leave the country. These are the only ways they have.