For many Indian technology professionals in the United States, recent months have brought uncertainty and mounting anxiety. A single termination notice can now jeopardise not just employment, but housing, children’s education and even the ability to remain in the country.

Widespread layoffs at companies such as Meta, Amazon and Oracle have intensified pressure on employees working under the H-1B visa programme. Under US immigration regulations, individuals who lose their jobs have a 60-day grace period to secure a new employer willing to transfer or file a fresh H-1B petition. Failing that, they are expected to depart the US.

For professionals who have spent years building careers and lives in America, that deadline can feel overwhelming.

Turning to Visitor Visas for Breathing Space

To extend their stay while continuing the job hunt, some laid-off workers are reportedly applying to shift temporarily to B-2 visitor status, which can permit a stay of up to six months. However, immigration attorneys say this route is becoming more complicated.

Legal experts indicate that US authorities are increasingly issuing Requests for Evidence (RFEs) and Notices of Intent to Deny in change-of-status applications from H-1B to B-2. While the pathway remains lawful, approvals are said to be harder to obtain than in previous years.

Immigration lawyer Rajiv Khanna noted a sharp surge in such cases, describing the current volume of scrutiny as unprecedented in his experience. Other attorneys have similarly pointed to a noticeable rise in additional documentation demands and rejection rates.

Layoffs Mount Across Tech

The visa strain coincides with significant downsizing across the technology industry. Data compiled by Layoffs.fyi suggests that more than 110,000 employees across over 140 tech companies have lost their roles in 2026 alone. Immigration specialists estimate that a considerable portion of those affected could be H-1B holders, many of them Indian nationals.

Indians form the largest share of H-1B recipients. According to recent figures from US immigration authorities, they accounted for over two-thirds of approved petitions in the last fiscal year. That heavy representation, once seen as an advantage, is now amplifying vulnerability amid hiring slowdowns.

Families, Green Card Backlogs and Emotional Toll

For many, the stakes extend far beyond employment. Numerous Indian professionals have waited years — sometimes over a decade — for permanent residency due to lengthy green card backlogs. Many have American-born children, ongoing mortgages and deeply rooted family lives in the US.

Xiao Wang, CEO of Boundless Immigration, observed that the emotional strain has been significant, particularly for Indian nationals whose green card wait times already stretch decades. According to him, an increasing number of workers are weighing whether to return to India or explore opportunities in Canada or Europe.

Attorney Kevin J. Andrews also noted that professionals are reassessing long-term prospects in the US, especially as artificial intelligence reshapes hiring trends across the technology sector.

Exploring Alternative Paths

Besides visitor visas, affected workers are examining other immigration categories. Some are considering F-1 student visas to enrol in academic programmes, O-1 visas for individuals with exceptional ability, or L-1 visas through multinational company transfers. Canada’s Express Entry system and Global Talent Stream are also emerging as attractive alternatives.

The latest concerns have intensified following another round of restructuring at Meta, where global layoffs are underway as part of a shift toward AI-focused operations. Reports indicate that employees in Singapore were among the first to receive termination notices, with staff in the US and Europe also impacted. The exact number of affected Indian workers remains unclear.

In an internal communication reviewed by Bloomberg, Meta’s Head of People, Janelle Gale, described plans to create leaner teams with greater accountability. While certain divisions — particularly engineering and product — are expected to see reductions, the company is simultaneously reallocating thousands of employees to artificial intelligence initiatives under CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Meta is reportedly planning to invest over $100 billion in AI-related projects this year.

Although public job-seeking posts from affected employees have not yet surged on professional networking platforms, unease within the H-1B community is unmistakably growing. For thousands of Indian tech workers, the coming weeks may determine whether they can continue their American journey — or must chart a new path elsewhere.