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Laid-off H-1B grad counts the days on borrowed time. Here's more to his ordeals
Laid-off H-1B grad counts the days on borrowed time. Here's more to his ordeals

Hindustan Times

time3 days ago

  • Business
  • Hindustan Times

Laid-off H-1B grad counts the days on borrowed time. Here's more to his ordeals

One recent graduate, after securing his first job on an H-1B visa, was laid off just a few weeks into the role. Now, nearly nine months later, he's still unemployed and clinging to hope on a temporary visa. After being laid off from his first job on an H1B visa, a 2024 graduate has struggled to find work for nine months.(X/@USAndIndia) The 2024 data science graduate told M9News that he's applied to over 300 positions since the layoff, but not a single job offer has come through. ALSO READ| India techie's F-1 visa 'Refused' for a this very reason, Redditor weighs in Laid-off graduate now battles immigration clock 'Every day feels like a countdown,' he said. 'I'm doing everything I can, but I'm running low on time, money, and hope.' Notably, after completing his Master's degree from a U.S. university and gaining internship experience, he landed a dream job. But only 30 days in, he was let go. 'I never thought my first job would only last 30 days. I feel stuck in limbo. There's no closure,' he admitted. 'I'm just surviving on borrowed time,' he sighed. Following the layoff, he used the standard 60-day grace period to try to find another job. When that window expired, and he had no offer of another one, he switched to the B2 visa, a temporary tourist visa, in an extreme measure to remain in the country legally and keep his job search. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has yet to review his application. 'Layoffs don't just end jobs—they uproot lives,' an immigration attorney told M9 News. 'And the current system provides no safety net.' ALSO READ| One family emergency away from losing your H-1B Visa? Indian techie's hidden fear US Visa ordeal stories like his aren't rare anymore Over the past year, waves of H1B layoffs have pushed thousands into a similar race against time. Many have already packed up and left. Like, one shared on Reddit, 'I was laid off in October 2024 (when my STEM OPT expired) and been jobless since.' 'I'm currently on an F1 visa doing my second Master's mainly to maintain my status (day 1 CPT). I'm 31 years old with quite a bit of my student loan left plus credit card debt that I am using to survive and continue studying after being laid off.'

Millions of travelers to the U.S. could be charged a new $250 "visa integrity fee"
Millions of travelers to the U.S. could be charged a new $250 "visa integrity fee"

CBS News

time4 days ago

  • Business
  • CBS News

Millions of travelers to the U.S. could be charged a new $250 "visa integrity fee"

Many travelers to the U.S. are now subject to a new $250 "visa integrity fee," part of the tax cuts and spending law signed by President Trump on July 4. The fee is effective in the current federal fiscal year, which began on Oct. 1, 2024, and ends on Sept. 30, 2025, according to the text of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. For subsequent years, the amount will be adjusted for inflation, the law states. The fee applies to visitors who come to the U.S. on nonimmigrant visas, such as foreign students attending American universities or workers who receive temporary work visas such as the H-1B, which is often used by tech companies to hire foreign engineers or other skilled workers. In 2023, the U.S. issued more than 10 million nonimmigrant visas, according to data from the U.S. State Department. Visa holders subjected to the fee may later be reimbursed as long as they comply with their visa's restrictions, such as leaving the U.S. within five days of the visa's expiration, according to the new law. However, the law doesn't specify how visa holders may apply for reimbursement of the fee, nor how the fee will be collected. "The visa integrity fee requires cross-agency coordination before implementation," a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told CBS MoneyWatch in an email. "President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill provides the necessary policies and resources to restore integrity in our nation's immigration system," it added. Given that fee isn't yet set up to be collected, it's unclear whether the visa integrity fee will be retroactive. The Department of Homeland Security didn't immediately respond to a question about whether the fee would be collected retroactively. The new fee will add to the hurdles facing immigrants, according to the American Immigration Council, a nonpartisan think tank focused on immigration issues. It noted the new bill also includes additional new charges, including a new $100 fee for people applying for asylum. "These fees, many of which are authorized to be layered on top of existing fees, are largely mandatory, effectively putting legal pathways out of reach for thousands of people," the group said in a July 14 statement. For instance, student visa applicants already must pay an $185 application fee and a $350 fee for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. The additional $250 fee will bring their total cost to $785. People seeking asylum in the U.S., who previously could apply for that designation for free, could face total filing fees of more than $1,150 under the new law, according to the American Immigration Council. Many tourists to the U.S. don't require visas due to the Visa Waiver Program, which allows residents of more than 40 nations — ranging from Australia to the U.K. — to enter the U.S. for fewer than 90 days without a visa.

Bengaluru man in US fears return to India amid possible job loss, opens up on Reddit
Bengaluru man in US fears return to India amid possible job loss, opens up on Reddit

India Today

time6 days ago

  • Business
  • India Today

Bengaluru man in US fears return to India amid possible job loss, opens up on Reddit

An Indian tech professional working for a top US tech firm has opened up about the emotional toll of a possible job loss and an impending move back to India in a now-viral Reddit the post titled 'Being forced to return to India - I am worried' on the subreddit r/returnToIndia, the user wrote about the challenges faced by immigrants navigating the US job market under an H-1B H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations, typically for a maximum of six years. Visa holders often face tight timelines to secure new employment if laid off, or risk being forced to leave the country. 'Hey all, I am currently in the US working for a FAANG company but there is a very high probability that my role will be eliminated in the next couple of months and I am still on H1B,' the user said in his Reddit post, adding: 'I am worried that it will be very difficult to get another job in the short duration given the state of the job market and it is stressing me out a lot.'FAANG refers to Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google - five of the most prominent technology companies in the United man, a parent of two, expressed concern about uprooting his children, especially the elder child who is currently in high school. 'I am very much worried for my elder one as both my kids have lived all their life in the US,' the post family plans to return to Bengaluru if the job situation doesn't improve: 'Please put some sanity into me and tell me it's going to be alright if we move back. We will be moving back to Bangalore as that's where our roots are. I would love to hear back from folks who moved back with high school kids.'Read the entire post here: In the comments section, several Reddit users shared their perspectives to offer support.'It will be a big deal only if you make it one. Kids are a lot more resilient than we give them credit for,' a user added, 'I moved back. The kids are doing really well. I don't think that's a problem. The real issue is in finding work here and adjusting to the work culture.''You sound like a good parent. Your kids will be fine no matter where you live,' read another encouraging reply.- EndsMust Watch

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