Key Insights from Meta’s Layoff Decision:
- Impact on H-1B Holders: Meta’s performance-based layoffs could disproportionately impact H-1B visa holders, forcing them to find new employment quickly to maintain legal status.
- Grace Period and Challenges: Laid-off H-1B employees have a limited 60-day grace period to find a new sponsor, change their immigration status, or leave the U.S., creating significant uncertainty and potential hardship.
- Focus on AI: Meta’s shift towards AI and machine learning will likely reshape its workforce, potentially favoring highly skilled engineers in these fields.
By Samuel A. Lopez, USA Herald
[MENLO PARK, CA] – Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook) began implementing performance-based layoffs on February 10th, impacting approximately 5% of its global workforce, according to an internal memo obtained by Business Insider.
This decision, driven by CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s efficiency push and focus on artificial intelligence, could be more than just a corporate cost-cutting measure—it might be bad news for thousands of H-1B visa holders currently employed by Meta in the United States.
What’s at Stake for H-1B Visa Holders? Meta employs over 4,500 H-1B visa holders, ranking among the top sponsors of this program, which allows U.S. companies to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations.
Meta ranks among the top 10 companies that sponsor H-1B visa workers. Despite being #8 on the list, Meta offers the highest average pay among these companies, with an impressive average H-1B salary of $199,944.
Based on data from MyVisaJobs.com, a national database that collects visa statistics, the following information has been reported:
Rank H1B Visa Sponsor (Employer) Average Salary
1 Amazon.Com Services $149,812
2 Cognizant Technology Solutions $101,773
3 Ernst & Young $143,378
4 Tata Consultancy Services $105,529
5 Google $178,184
6 Microsoft $163,672
7 Infosys $103,102
8 Meta Platforms $199,944
9 Intel $145,250
10 Hcl America $104,848
These employees, many of whom are in the U.S. on temporary work visas, now face an uncertain future, with only a 60-day grace period to either secure new sponsored-employment or adjust their immigration status.
For H-1B visa holders, losing their employment at Meta presents a significant challenge. The H-1B visa is tied to employment with a specific U.S. employer. Upon termination, the visa immediately becomes invalid, and the employee enters the 60-day grace period. During this time, they must:
