From H-1B to Green Card, how many people fall at this hurdle?

The wave of layoffs in the U.S. tech industry continues. Recently, Meta initiated another round of global layoffs. According to media reports, this round involves approximately 8,000 employees, accounting for about 10% of the company's total workforce, while also canceling 6,000 open positions.

For many employees, the layoff email arrived suddenly and cruelly. In the United States, after some affected employees received the email, their work badges were immediately deactivated, and their access to internal company systems was removed. In an internal email, Meta informed employees that they had entered a "non-working notification period" and were no longer required to handle tasks for the company.

This is not the first time Meta has conducted large-scale layoffs. U.S. tech giants, once considered "high-paying, stable, and promising," have now begun to frequently enter cycles of cost-cutting, restructuring, and job optimization. This serves as a wake-up call for all foreign employees working in the United States, especially H-1B holders.

What is lost is not just a job,

but a sense of security in one's status.

For domestic U.S. employees, being laid off means an interruption in income and a career restart. However, for foreign employees who rely on H-1B work visas, being laid off often means the official start of a countdown for their legal status.

According to U.S. immigration regulations, once H-1B employees lose their jobs, they typically have a grace period of up to 60 days. During this time, the applicant must complete subsequent status arrangements as soon as possible, or they may face the risk of having to leave the country.

During these 60 days, H-1B holders generally need to complete one of the following: find a new employer and have them submit an H-1B transfer application; apply to change to another legal status; if eligible, expedite a green card or adjustment of status application; or leave the United States and re-plan their future.

The problem is that in an environment where the tech industry continues to lay off staff, job openings are decreasing, and companies are becoming more cautious in hiring, the difficulty of finding a new employer willing to accept and provide visa sponsorship within just 60 days is significantly increasing.

For many international students, the real pressure is not just "whether I can find the next job," but "whether my status can be maintained."

Under the Halo of Tech Giants,

Status Planning Still Requires Early Layout

In the past, many families believed that as long as their children entered top U.S. universities, joined a tech giant after graduation, and obtained an H-1B, their future development in the U.S. would be basically secure.

But now, the uncertainty of this path is constantly increasing.

First, the H-1B is inherently dependent on the employer. If the job is there, the status is relatively stable; once the job is interrupted, the status is immediately affected.

Second, the H-1B is not a permanent status. Lotteries, renewals, employer transfers, and green card backlogs all involve time costs and policy variables at every step.

Third, even entering a tech giant does not guarantee career and status security. In recent years, U.S. tech companies have continuously adjusted their business structures, and layoffs are no longer a short-term phenomenon for individual companies, but part of the cyclical changes in the entire industry.

For those who have already studied, worked, bought homes, started families, or even have children's education plans in the United States, the impact of status instability far exceeds that of a job change.

Jobs can be changed, cities can be moved, and industries can be shifted. But once status is interrupted, long-term family plans may be forced to be reshuffled.

Without a Green Card,

The Initiative Always Remains in Others' Hands

The H-1B was once an important channel for many international students to stay in the United States. From an F1 student visa to OPT internship, then to an H-1B work visa, and finally supported by an employer for a green card application, this is a familiar path for many international students to stay in the U.S.

But the biggest problem with this path is that the initiative is highly dependent on the employer. Whether you can stay depends on whether the company is willing to sponsor you; whether you can change jobs depends on whether the new employer is willing to take over; whether you can smoothly advance your green card depends on the position, employer, backlog, and policy changes; once the company lays off staff, the status pressure is quickly transferred to the individual and the family.

EB-5: Locking in a Long-Term Path for Families Staying in the U.S.

Against this backdrop, the value of the new EB-5 investment immigration is being re-recognized by more and more international student families, H-1B families, and high-net-worth families. For families who wish to develop in the United States for the long term, the value of EB-5 lies in the fact that it provides a status planning path that is relatively independent of employer sponsorship.

Whether you are planning to study in the United States, are currently studying as an international student, or are an H-1B holder who has already entered the workforce, status planning should not rely solely on one company, one position, or one visa opportunity. Planning for EB-5 in advance can help families have more room for choice when facing industry fluctuations, job adjustments, or policy changes in the future.

Currently, the EB-5 rural project is still in a critical stage with prominent advantages of the visa-backlog-free policy. According to the new act, rural projects enjoy exclusive reserved visa quotas, the current quota is relatively sufficient, and they legally enjoy the advantage of priority processing.

It is worth noting that the "grandfather clause" protection period for the new EB-5 policy will expire on September 30, 2026. By submitting an application before this date, even if policies change in the future, the applicant can still continue to be processed according to the current legal rules.

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