Recently, Amazon has initiated its largest round of layoffs since 2022. Reports indicate that this plan will cut up to 30,000 corporate employees, approximately 10% of its 350,000 office staff, affecting multiple departments including human resources, operations, and equipment and services. In fact, this is not the first time Amazon has laid off employees. As early as 2023, the company had phased out 27,000 employees.
Multiple Corporate Giants are "Slimming Down"
Amazon is not an isolated case.
The American logistics giant UPS recently announced that it has cut 34,000 operational positions this year, in addition to the 14,000 management positions that will be eliminated by the end of the year, totaling approximately 48,000 layoffs for the year. The company stated that this is its largest cost optimization plan in history.
The CEO of Goldman Sachs stated that they will limit the number of employees and reduce certain positions to a limited extent.
Chip giant Intel plans to cut up to 25,000 jobs in response to declining revenues.
Companies like Procter & Gamble and Walmart have already cut thousands of mid-level positions this year.
These changes have a particularly direct impact on foreign employees working in the U.S., especially international students holding H-1B work visas.
Concerns of International Students: Layoff Notices and Countdown to Identity Crisis
As companies continue to lay off employees, many foreign workers holding H-1B work visas are forced to face a countdown to their identity. According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services regulations, H-1B holders have only a 60-day grace period after being laid off. During this period, they must find a new employer to complete the transfer of their status, or they must leave the country.
Many affected international students reported that the interval between receiving the layoff email and their system accounts being deactivated was less than two days. Finding a new employer willing to sponsor their visa within just 60 days is extremely challenging.
Worse still, Amazon had already suspended processing PERM (the first step of green card applications) for foreign employees as early as 2023, and this suspension has been extended this year.
This means that even employees who are still employed have lost their pathway to long-term residency status. One laid-off employee lamented, "Five years of effort, the PERM materials were all prepared, but the company said to suspend it, and there’s no chance to submit it."
Florida Takes Another "Heavy Hand":
H-1B Policy Becomes Tighter
Recently, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the state university system is required to completely stop hiring foreign employees holding H-1B visas, citing that "local residents should be prioritized for employment." According to data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), as of June 30, 2025, there are over 1,900 employers in Florida sponsoring more than 7,200 H-1B visa holders.
This signal is already strong enough: states are gradually tightening their attitudes towards foreign labor.
Earlier, the Trump administration proposed increasing the H-1B application fee by $100,000.
It can be said that labor costs and policy risks are rapidly rising, and the career planning of international students is filled with uncertainty.
Reality Reminder:
Identity Comes First, Only Then Can You Have Choices
In this wave of layoffs and tightening sweeping across the United States, the most vulnerable group is foreign employees and international students. A visa is merely a pass; identity is the foundation for standing firm.
Having a stable legal status means retaining the right to choose amidst any changes.
Those who have placed all their future hopes on employer sponsorship or the H-1B lottery are now experiencing the fragility of such dependence.
EB-5: Locking in a Certain Path to Identity in Uncertain Times
In the current uncertain environment, more and more families in the U.S. are beginning to rethink the path of "identity first." Among them, EB-5 investment immigration is increasingly favored as an important way to achieve long-term stable identity.
The U.S. EB-5 investment immigration program has been in place for over 30 years since it was legislated by the U.S. Congress in 1990, with stable policies and the following advantages under the new regulations:
• Fast approval channels: Rural EB-5 projects are exempt from waiting periods and have priority approval advantages;
• Dual submission: EB-5 applicants within the U.S., including international students, can simultaneously submit I-526E immigration applications and I-485 status adjustment applications, obtaining a Combo card in about three months.
For international student families hoping to develop long-term in the U.S., EB-5 is not only a pathway to immigration but also a form of "identity insurance." It allows you to have the most certain choices in uncertain times.
EB-5 Enters a Critical Period:
The Grandfathering Rule and Waiting Period Risks Are Approaching
It is worth noting that the wolf of waiting periods is quietly approaching. As the reserved quotas for rural projects are rapidly consumed, the window for "exempt from waiting periods and fast approval" is shortening. Moreover, the EB-5 grandfathering rule has entered the final 11-month countdown (expiring on September 30, 2026), and applications submitted before this date will be protected under the current policy. Opportunities are fleeting; the earlier you submit, the more secure it is!
Currently, it is the golden window period for investors to achieve U.S. immigration planning through EB-5. The two major projects approved under I-956F, exclusively represented by WorldWay in the Greater China region: the "Great Smoky Mountains - Marriott Hotel" EB-5 rural project and the "Florida Lakeside Jewish Community Phase II" EB-5 rural project, are further assisting investors in achieving stable, no-wait, and efficient U.S. identity planning, quickly stepping onto the new path of life in the U.S.
Global quotas are limited, and seats are scarce—first come, first served; opportunities should not be missed!
For inquiries in mainland China: 400-138-2929, Hong Kong customer service center: (852)2802 8798