Meta’s layoffs could be devastating to immigrants on work visas

A mass cut with outsized immigration fallout

Meta’s November 2022 layoffs—about 11,000 employees, roughly 13 percent of its workforce—did more than shake Silicon Valley. They put thousands of foreign workers on a tight legal deadline. It has been reported that a significant share of those cut were in the United States on temporary work visas, including H-1B specialty occupation workers and F-1 graduates on Optional Practical Training (OPT). Unlike their U.S. citizen colleagues, many now face an abrupt countdown: either secure a new qualifying job quickly or leave the country.

The 60-day clock, explained

Under a 2017 DHS rule, workers in E, H-1B/H-1B1, L-1, O-1, and TN categories get up to a 60-day “grace period” (or until their I-94 expires, whichever comes first) after job loss to file for a transfer, change status, or depart. For H-1B employees, a new employer must submit an H-1B change-of-employer petition within that window; premium processing can yield a decision in about 15 calendar days, but regular processing can take months. F-1 graduates on OPT face unemployment limits—90 days on initial OPT and a cumulative 150 days across initial + STEM extension—after which status risks accrue. L-1 intracompany transferees cannot “port” to a new company in the same status and often must seek a different visa or depart.

The job market matters here. When tech firms freeze hiring broadly, even highly skilled workers struggle to land offers fast enough for filings to hit USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) before the clock runs out. A single missed deadline means loss of status, curtailed work authorization, and upheaval for families with mortgages, school enrollments, and community ties.

Green cards in limbo

For many Meta employees, layoffs also disrupt long-running green card cases. Employment-based permanent residence typically starts with PERM (the labor certification) and moves to the I-140 immigrant petition, followed—if a green card is available—by the I-485 adjustment of status. If an I-485 has been pending 180 days or more, AC21 “portability” allows a worker to switch to a same-or-similar job with another employer without restarting the process. But if a layoff hits before that 180-day mark, the adjustment can be denied when the original job offer evaporates. Those from backlogged countries (notably India and China) who have an approved I-140 but no current priority date can usually keep their priority date for a future employer if the I-140 has been approved for at least 180 days—yet they must still repeat PERM with the new sponsor, adding months or years.

What this means right now

Practically, laid-off visa holders are racing to: secure a same-or-similar offer and file an H-1B transfer within 60 days; file a timely change of status (for example, to B-1/B-2 visitor) to buy limited additional time, noting that no work is allowed; or leverage spousal status (H-4, L-2) where available. Premium processing can help with speed but not with job scarcity. According to Slate’s reporting, the human toll is immediate: careers and immigration timelines are colliding with rigid deadlines. For anyone caught in this wave, early consultation with counsel, meticulous documentation, and fast filings are now as critical as the next interview.