A 29-year-old H-1B visa holder has sparked a discussion online after sharing a candid account of being laid off less than a month after returning to the United States.
In a Reddit post titled “Laid off within a month of returning to the US”, the anonymous user shared that he had been working with the same company since completing his master’s degree in 2021. In 2024, when his H1B visa application was not selected in the lottery, the company initiated a transfer process to move him to Canada. However, as the Canadian visa process was taking time, the user said that he was first sent to India for three months before moving to Canada once his work permit was approved.
The OP said that his H-1B visa was eventually selected in this year’s lottery, and the company filed his application in the summer. “Now here’s when I started realizing my team is doing bad and we aren’t working on billable hours. I upgraded to Premium processing out of pocket and moved back to US September end,” the user wrote.
But his return was followed by uncertainty. “We were still pretty much not doing any billable work and I was laid off with another colleague today morning,” he shared.
{{/usCountry}}But his return was followed by uncertainty. “We were still pretty much not doing any billable work and I was laid off with another colleague today morning,” he shared.
{{/usCountry}}The OP added that while he anticipated layoffs, he did not expect to be the first to go. “I am the second most oldest person tenure-wise. Everyone else at the company was shocked to hear about my layoff,” he said.
The user expressed regret over not starting a job search earlier, writing, “I was worried it’d look bad to switch right after coming back to the US. Lesson learned: no company is worth blind loyalty, always look out for yourself.”
(Also Read: Indian manager on H-1B opens up about bias and growing resentment at work: 'I feel hated for things I didn’t do')
Social media reactions
The post has triggered discussions about corporate loyalty and the importance of timely job applications.
“Honestly, what a SAVE! Think how bad the situation could have been if you hadn’t done PP and laid off before coming back to USA with H1B status? Especially with the new 100k fee… My man, you lucked out and have so many opportunities available, I would focus on that!!” one user wrote.
“Sorry to hear about your situation. But you learned a valuable lesson that many of us learned one way or the other. Loyalty is to your family. The company is not your family. Always keep a side gig going if you are legally permitted to. Either through downsizing or through ageism down the road, you will always be one decision away from financial ruin unless you start building something on your own on the side,” commented another.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)