Meta offers immigration support to H-1B visa holders impacted by its lay-offs
3 min read
Immigration Support: As a Facebook owner, Meta decided to lay off more than 11,000 of its staff in “the most difficult changes made in Meta’s history”, employees on work visas, for example, H-1Bs presently face vulnerability over their immigration status.
Recognizing this issue, Mark Zuckerberg said in the letter, “this is particularly difficult. If you’re here on a visa” and offered help to those influenced.
The letter reads, “I realize this is particularly difficult if you’re here on a visa. There’s a notification period before termination and some visa grace periods, and that implies everybody has time to make plans and work through their immigration status. We have committed immigration experts to help with directing you based on what you and your family need.”
It should be noticed that US-based technology firms hire an enormous number of H-1B workers, most of whom come from nations like India.
The H-1B visa, a non-immigrant visa, allows US enterprises to employ foreign workers in occupations that require specific information. Technology firms rely upon it to recruit numerous employees every year from nations like India and China.
The H-1B visa is at first valid for three years and can be extended by an additional three years.
The visa holders are then expected to leave the country. If their employee sponsors them for permanent residency, known as the Green Card.
Immigration support to H-1B visa holders
In case H-1B visa holders lose their jobs, they just have a “grace period” of 60 days. To find an employee who will support their H-1B, failing which they will be expected to leave the US.
Other help measures declared by Meta include severance pay for 16 weeks of base pay plus two additional weeks for every year of service. With no cap inclusion of medical services costs for individuals and their families. For 6 months and 3 months of professional support with an outside merchant, including early access to unpublished job leads.
Zuckerberg said outside the US, support will be similar, and the organization will follow up soon. With separate processes that take into account local employment laws.
He said the cuts addressed 13% of the social media titan’s workforce and would affect its research lab focusing on the metaverse. As well as its apps, which include Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp.
[Additional H2B Visas to be Made Available this Fiscal Year]
The tech business is facing a serious slump and numerous tech firms have declared mass layoffs. Twitter’s new proprietor Elon Musk terminated a portion of its staff a week ago.
Facebook and Google, which are promotion platforms, are suffering with advertisers looking. Further, to cut costs as they struggle with inflation and rising interest rates.
Zuckerberg told staff he had expected the boost in e-commerce and online activity during the Coronavirus pandemic to go on yet added. “I failed to understand the situation, and I take responsibility for that.”
