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U.S. H-1B Visa
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.
Warning for Staying in the U.S.! Strict H-1B Compliance Checks
Against the backdrop of waves of layoffs, tightening visa policies, and the continuously rising uncertainty of the H-1B lottery, many international students and H-1B holders in the U.S. are facing unprecedented anxiety regarding their immigration status. In the past, the primary concern was "whether one could win the H-1B lottery"; however, the issue is becoming increasingly complex: even if selected, is the sponsoring company truly compliant? Does the position actually exist? Can the office location withstand scrutiny? These details, which were easily overlooked in the past, are now becoming new risk factors affecting the security of one's immigration status.
H-1B Holder Record: Life in the U.S. Without a Green Card is Pure Agony
Recently, the experience of Alice, an H-1B holder working at a U.S. tech company, has resonated with many families living in the United States. The moment she received her layoff notice at her desk, she did not remain as calm as her American colleagues; instead, she was immediately plunged into immense anxiety. For her, this was not just the end of a job, but the beginning of a countdown for her legal status. 60 days—this may be her final deadline to remain in the United States legally. Once an H-1B holder loses their job, they only have a 60-day grace period to find new employment, otherwise, they must depart the country. When she checks the "requires visa sponsorship" box on job recruitment platforms, the number of available positions instantly drops by more than half. For many middle-class elites, the H-1B is like an "experience card" that could expire at any moment.
New H-1B Approval Data Exposed, What is the Path for Staying in the U.S.?
Recently, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officially released the "Characteristics of H-1B Specialty Occupation Workers: Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Report." The report shows that in fiscal year 2025 (October 1, 2024 - September 30, 2025), USCIS approved a total of 406,348 H-1B petitions. Below, please join WorldWay to take a look at the important signals released by this report. China remains firmly in second place globally. In terms of total approvals, the distribution of beneficiaries' nationalities largely follows the pattern of previous years. Indian nationals accounted for the highest percentage of approvals, reaching approximately 69.9%; Chinese nationals accounted for approximately 12.1% of approvals, ranking second globally.
Sudden Change in Studying in the U.S.! The H-1B Status Threshold Has Been Moved Forward
In the past, many families of international students were accustomed to considering immigration status only after graduation: study first, find an internship, work using OPT after graduation, see if they can be selected for an H-1B, and finally plan for a Green Card. However, the current U.S. job market is undergoing significant changes. Competition for international students no longer begins after graduation; the threshold for immigration status has already moved forward into the stages of internship applications, campus recruitment, and employer screening. Many students feel the disparity caused by their status during the internship phase, long before they even reach the steps of OPT and H-1B.
U.S. Study Alert: H-1B Proposed to be Suspended for 3 Years?
On April 22, 2026, local time, U.S. Representative Eli Crane introduced the "End H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026," proposing a three-year suspension of H-1B visa issuance, the elimination of OPT, restrictions on H-1B to green card transitions, and an increase in the minimum annual salary threshold to $200,000... These disruptive measures have rapidly drawn significant attention from the technology industry, corporate employers, and the international student community.
Children studying in the U.S. on H-1B: How many variables are there?
The start of 2026 is destined to be a cold one for those in the U.S. tech sector. In the first quarter alone, the Silicon Valley "layoff counter" has been staggering: in just three months, the U.S. tech industry has seen over 73,000 layoffs. • Block: Approximately 40% of staff laid off in a single round• Oracle: Approximately 30,000 cumulative layoffs• Amazon: Approximately 16,000 layoffs at the beginning of the year• Meta: Plans to initiate a new round of layoffs starting in May 2026, with the first round affecting approximately 10% (about 8,000 people), and has explicitly stated that further layoffs may continue in the second half of the year
H-1B Too Risky? EB-5 Provides a Direct Path to Staying in the U.S.
April 2026 is destined to be a sleepless month for countless international students and professionals harboring dreams of staying in the United States. As USCIS announces the H-1B lottery results for fiscal year 2027, reality has once again delivered a cruel response. With policies tightening and layoffs continuing, the H-1B path, once considered a stable route for staying in the U.S., is becoming increasingly precarious. When "luck" is no longer the deciding factor and "high salary" becomes the ticket to entry, the EB-5 investment immigration under the new policy is becoming an important option for many families planning their status pathways.
Another State Tightens H-1B Pathways: How Can Families in the U.S. Break Through?
For many international talents harboring the "American Dream," the H-1B work visa was once a core bridge to developing a career in the United States. However, this bridge is becoming increasingly narrow and unstable. Recently, a new proposal in Iowa has once again pushed the tightening trend of H-1B visas to the forefront, with the higher education sector becoming a major disaster area in this "encirclement" campaign. Iowa Takes Action: Further Escalation of H-1B Restrictions in Higher Education. On April 10, local time, it was reported that a proposal in Iowa aimed at restricting the hiring of certain foreign workers by universities (House Bill 2513) is progressing rapidly in the state legislature. The bill prohibits public universities, community colleges, and certain private institutions in Iowa from entering into new employment contracts with individuals who hold H-1B visas and originate from "foreign adversaries" or "state sponsors of terrorism" as designated by the U.S. government.
How much longer can H-1B last? The answer may be more severe than you think
For many tech professionals in the United States, the spring of 2026 has been a bone-chilling winter. There is no sign of the wave of layoffs at U.S. tech companies slowing down. Behind the cold numbers on the layoff lists of giants like Meta and Oracle are individual H-1B holders and their families. Even more distressing is that since the beginning of 2026, the global tech industry has seen nearly 80,000 layoffs, with over 76% occurring in the United States.
Major Legislative Proposal: Is the H-1B Being Abolished?
There is more significant news regarding the H-1B visa! Just as the discussions surrounding the rise in H-1B salary thresholds have yet to subside, another major update has emerged in the U.S. immigration community. According to Newsweek, U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN) has introduced a new bill in Congress—the Assimilation Act—which plans to completely eliminate the Green Card Lottery and terminate the H-1B visa program in its entirety. This proposal has been described by some media outlets as "the most far-reaching immigration system reform of this century."
H-1B Alert! The Landscape for Staying in the U.S. Shifts Again
Recently, many international students have been repeatedly refreshing their systems, waiting for their H-1B lottery results. The H-1B registration for the 2027 fiscal year closed on March 19, and results have begun to appear in some applicants' myUSCIS accounts. Meanwhile, reports suggest that this year's H-1B registration volume may have declined by 30%-50% compared to last year. This does not reflect a lack of desire to stay in the U.S., but rather that this path is becoming increasingly difficult. The annual H-1B quota is 65,000 regular spots plus 20,000 spots reserved for those with a U.S. master's degree or higher, totaling approximately 85,000. However, the number of applicants consistently far exceeds the quota. Even with a decline in registration for the 2026 fiscal year, the reality of hundreds of thousands of people competing for 85,000 spots remains unchanged.