Fresh rounds of job cuts across global technology firms, including Meta, Amazon, and Oracle, have triggered a severe crisis for thousands of Indian IT professionals residing in the United States. Operating under the strict frameworks of the US immigration system, these laid-off foreign nationals are bound by a rigid 60-day grace period to secure a new employer willing to sponsor their visa, successfully change their legal immigration status, or exit the country entirely.
The scale of the downturn has been stark. Data from global tracking platforms indicates that over 110,000 employees have been laid off across 144 tech companies in 2026 alone. Because Indian citizens consistently secure the vast majority of H-1B visas—accounting for 283,772 of the 406,348 approved petitions in the fiscal year 2025—they are bearing the heaviest burden of this sudden industry instability.
Alternate visa routes face stricter scrutiny
To purchase additional time to look for employment, an increasing number of redundant professionals are filing applications to transition temporarily to B-2 visitor visas, which can theoretically allow them to remain in the US for up to six months. However, legal and immigration experts warn that this pathway is becoming considerably more challenging.
According to reports from media sources, US immigration authorities are exercising intense scrutiny on these status modifications. Legal professionals handling these cases have noted a sharp rise in Requests for Evidence (RFEs) and Notices of Intent to Deny from authorities. While the transition method remains fully legal, securing an approval requires substantial paperwork and has become far more difficult to clear under the current administrative environment.
Personal and emotional toll of the AI shift
The ongoing job cuts are tied heavily to corporate restructuring as technology corporations pivot aggressively toward artificial intelligence. Meta, for instance, is projected to deploy over $100 billion in AI-related infrastructure and investments this year, redirecting thousands of roles into specialized AI divisions and heavily affecting traditional engineering and product teams.
For the affected Indian tech workers, the consequences extend far beyond a loss of monthly salary. Many have lived in the United States for close to a decade, managing ongoing home mortgages and raising American-born children while waiting out historically backlogged Green Card lines. Due to the mounting systemic barriers and the persistent anxiety of sudden displacement, a growing number of skilled professionals are actively contemplating alternative immigration options, turning their focus away from the US to explore talent attraction pathways in Canada or European nations.
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