Tech Industry Layoffs Mean Added Headaches for H-1B Visa Workers

A wave of layoffs at Amazon.com Inc., Twitter Inc., and other major tech companies is creating an additional level of uncertainty for workers on temporary H-1B specialty occupation visas, who face potentially having to leave the country on top of losing their jobs.

H-1B workers generally have 60 days after losing employment or until the end of their visa’s authorized validity period—whichever is sooner—to find a new employer willing to sponsor their visas or leave the US.

The situation is especially disruptive for workers from India and China, many of whom remain on extended H-1B visas for years ...