Startup founder Shveta’s emotional social media post about an Indian Meta employee losing his job has struck a chord online, putting fresh focus on the growing anxiety among H-1B workers in the United States after the company’s latest layoffs.
Sharing the human side of the layoffs, Shveta described how a single termination email can suddenly throw an entire family’s future into uncertainty.
“An Indian engineer at Meta gets the layoff email at 11 pm Bangalore time. His wife is on H-4. His kid is in 3rd grade in Seattle. His Bellevue apartment lease has 8 months left. His H-1B clock just started ticking — 60 days,” she wrote on X.
Her post quickly gained attention across social media as many users related to the fear faced by Indian professionals working in the US tech industry.
“Meta’s stock went up on the news. Zuck (Mark Zuckerberg) called it becoming more efficient. This is what AI transformation actually looks like for 2 lakh Indians abroad. AI impact on Indians abroad is highest,” the post added.
Meta cuts thousands as Zuckerberg doubles down on AI
The viral post comes amid Meta’s latest round of global layoffs linked to the company’s aggressive artificial intelligence push under CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
According to reports, Meta has laid off nearly 8,000 employees as part of a broader restructuring exercise aimed at streamlining operations and shifting resources toward AI-focused teams.
Business Insider reported that affected employees received layoff emails around 4 AM on Wednesday informing them that their roles had been eliminated.
The company reportedly instructed employees already present in offices to collect their belongings and leave, while access badges and internal systems were expected to be disabled soon after.
Affected workers were later redirected to Meta’s Alumni Portal for information related to severance packages, benefits and job assistance.
Meta has said the layoffs are part of efforts to operate more efficiently while continuing heavy investments in artificial intelligence. Reports indicate the company may spend over $100 billion on AI-related projects this year.
H-1B workers face race against time
One section of Meta’s internal memo specifically addressed employees whose visas and work permits are sponsored by the company.
The company wrote, “We know this is especially difficult for those whose visa and work authorisation are sponsored by Meta.”
It further added, “The Alumni Portal has general immigration guidance to help address your immediate questions. The guidance also contains the contact information for your assigned law firm. You can also open a case via the Alumni Portal if you have specific questions about your case.”
Under US immigration rules, many H-1B workers who lose their jobs get roughly 60 days to secure another employer sponsor. If they fail to do so within that period, they may have to leave the country.
For thousands of Indian professionals, the layoffs are creating uncertainty not just around jobs, but also around families, children’s education, housing leases and long-term settlement plans in the US.
Shveta’s post has now become a symbol of that larger fear — showing how the global AI race is impacting real lives far beyond Silicon Valley boardrooms.
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