Another round of layoffs has hit Meta, and this time the impact is being felt far beyond office buildings and corporate restructuring charts. Thousands of employees woke up to an email informing them that their jobs had been cut as the company moves deeper into its AI-focused future. But buried inside the formal layoff memo was one section that especially stood out for foreign workers on H-1B visas — a short message acknowledging the fear and uncertainty many of them are now facing. According to a report by Business Insider, employees received the email around 4AM on Wednesday. The message informed workers that their roles had been eliminated as part of Meta’s latest reorganisation exercise. Reports suggest the company has cut nearly 8,000 jobs, which is said to be close to 10 per cent of its workforce, while also moving thousands of employees into AI-related teams.

The email reportedly asked employees already present in offices to collect their personal belongings and head home. It also mentioned that access badges and internal systems would soon be deactivated, after which affected workers would be redirected to Meta’s Alumni Portal for severance details, benefits, and job assistance.

Meta described the layoffs as part of its efforts to operate more efficiently while continuing to invest heavily in artificial intelligence. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been aggressively pushing AI to the centre of the company’s future plans, with reports indicating that Meta could spend over $100 billion on AI-related investments this year. While the memo is really long, one section of it specifically addressed employees whose visas and work permits are tied to Meta.

The company wrote, “We know this is especially difficult for those whose visa and work authorisation is sponsored by Meta.” It further said that the affected workers could use the Alumni Portal for more details.

“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,” the memo added.

Meta is basically telling laid-off employees on work visas that losing their jobs will also impact their immigration status because their visa sponsorship is tied to the company. The company said affected workers can use its Alumni Portal to access immigration guidance, contact assigned law firms, and raise questions related to their visa cases. But, there is no mention of any external help that the company would provide in terms of extending their stays, which would give them some more time to grab a new job. A report from Economic Times revealed that impacted employees with H-1B visa are struggling to survive in the US because of the work visa rules.

Under US immigration rules, H-1B workers who lose their jobs generally get only 60 days to find another employer willing to sponsor them. If they fail to secure a new role within that period, they may have to leave the country.

The situation has become more stressful as layoffs continue across the tech industry. Data from Layoffs.fyi suggests that over 110,000 tech workers across 144 companies have been laid off in 2026 so far. Experts tracking immigration trends say a sizeable portion of these employees are likely on H-1B visas, with Indian professionals expected to be among the most affected.

Indian nationals continue to dominate the H-1B system in the US. As per figures reportedly released by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of Homeland Security for FY25, Indians received 283,772 approvals out of a total 406,348 H-1B petitions.

Many affected workers are now reportedly trying to switch temporarily to B-2 visitor visas in order to stay longer in the US while searching for jobs. However, immigration lawyers told ET that approvals are becoming harder to obtain as authorities increasingly demand extra documentation and issue more denials.

The emotional pressure is also growing because many Indian professionals have spent years building their lives in the US. According to a report from ET, some are still waiting for green cards stuck in long backlogs, while others have children studying there, ongoing home loans, and families settled in the country.

As layoffs continue at companies including Amazon, Oracle and Meta, several workers are now reportedly exploring backup options in Canada and Europe. Others are considering alternative visa routes such as F-1 student visas, O-1 visas, and intra-company transfer visas. People are reportedly trying to move to move to Canada through programs like Express Entry and the Global Talent Stream.

As previously shared, we have decided to reduce headcount as part of our continued effort to run the company more efficiently and to allow us to offset the other investments we’re making. Unfortunately, your role has been eliminated as part of today’s reorganization. Before sharing additional details, we want to thank you for all you’ve contributed to Meta. We appreciate the important role you’ve played in the company’s journey.

We understand you will have questions as you process this news. Please read below to learn more. We also encourage you to view the Alumni Portal (Meta.com/alumni), which you can access within an hour of losing system access and has additional information and resources to assist you. More information about the Alumni Portal is below.

Non-working notice period

From today through [redacted] (your “Termination Date”), you are in a “non-working notice period.” During this time, your internal access will be removed and you do not need to do any additional work for Meta.

You will continue to accrue PTO until your Termination Date, and your remaining PTO will be paid out in your final paycheck at the end of this period. During the notice period, you will be paid “Notice Pay,” which you will see on your payslips and is the same amount as your salary.

Leave of absence (if applicable): Your employment will end on your Termination Date that was communicated to you. Any leaves of absence will end on your Termination Date. Please note that to the extent applicable, you may still continue to receive disability benefits after your separation date if your disability meets the disability plan requirements.

Your benefits and compensation will continue through your Termination Date.

You will continue to receive your full salary and benefits through your Termination Date, as well as any RSU grants that have vested on or before your Termination Date as provided in the Equity Incentive Plan. To support you in your job search, you will also have access to three complimentary months of external job search assistance through Lee Hecht Harrison (“LHH”), as further detailed in the enclosed LHH Outplacement Services flyer.

Severance details

Attached is a non-signable version of a Separation Agreement with full details of your individual package (do not sign this version). A signable Separation Agreement will be sent to your personal email address from [redacted] later today with full details of your individual package. You must sign your Separation Agreement to receive your severance payout.

If you do not receive an electronic signable Separation Agreement by the end of the day tomorrow on your personal email, please check your spam folder. If you still haven’t received the agreement, please submit a case via the Alumni Portal. (Note: If you apply for and accept a different position at Meta no later than one week prior to your Termination Date, you will remain a Meta employee and therefore this Separation Agreement will be void and you would not be eligible for severance under the terms of the Severance Plan.)

As a Regular Employee (FTE), you’re eligible for the following severance offer:

Severance payment of 16 weeks plus two weeks for every year of completed services, minus your notice period. Please see the cover sheet of the attached Separation Agreement for more details on this calculation.

Payment of COBRA (health insurance) premiums for you and your family (if they are dependents on your current plan) for 18 months.

Immigration (if applicable)

We know this is especially difficult for those whose visa and work authorization is sponsored by Meta. 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.

System access and office information

Since you have entered a paid non-working notice period, your badge has been deactivated and your access to internal Meta systems will be removed this morning. If you are already in the office, we ask that you please gather any personal items at your desk and head home. If you have personal items that need to be retrieved, instructions are available on the Alumni Portal.

Getting more information

We know this is a lot to process, so we’ve compiled resources about pay, benefits and other considerations for you in the Alumni Portal. You can access the Alumni Portal within an hour of losing system access today as mentioned above. You will need your employee ID, which is provided at the top of this email, to access the site.

Finally, we want to say again that we’re grateful for your contributions. Your impact at Meta has been an important part of our story.

Sincerely,
Meta Leadership

Source: India Today