Advising Clients Impacted by the Tech Layoffs

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This is part one of a two-part series.

As of mid-February, 93,000 tech workers have been laid off from their jobs. More than 174 tech companies were a part of this process impacting a lot of lives. Approximately 30-40% of those workers were Indians on work visas, which means that the overall number of impacted employees on work visas was higher than this.

Unfortunately, when companies inflict massive layoffs, very rarely do they consider the immigration status of the impacted employees.

There are hundreds of employees on work visas who are having to scramble to find a solution. This is because if you lose a job on a work visa and you are in the U.S., you have 60 days and sometimes less to find a new job. If you are outside the U.S. you cannot come back as your sole reason for being in the U.S. is no longer valid.

The situation is devastating for those impacted and has a cascading effect on a lot of lives. For example, Google paused its green-card process, impacting hundreds of other employees. It’s tough to make a case for permanent residency while letting others go.