AI engineer laid off and forced to move back to India, his H-1B visa was of no help
Imagine spending six years in the US, earning a master's degree, landing a dream job at a Fortune 500 company and securing an H-1B visa
Imagine spending six years in the US, earning a master's degree, landing a dream job at a Fortune 500 company and securing an H-1B visa, only to be laid off because your company shifted your project to India. That's exactly what one Indian AI engineer says happened to him, leaving him with no option but to move back home. In a post shared on the r/developersIndia subreddit, the engineer revealed that he is preparing to return to India after losing his job. Despite having an H-1B visa, he said he was unable to find another role within the required 60-day grace period. The irony? His US employer is also shifting the entire AI project to its India team. Read Full Story “Been to the US for master's 6 years ago, later got a full-time job at a F500 product-based firm, worked there for over 3 years and now got laid off(Job moved to India, the irony I know,” he wrote in his post.
Like other H-1B visa holders, the techie reveals he had just 60 days to find another employer and retain his legal status in the country. However, despite trying, he said he could not secure another role within that period. He added that he is now weighing whether to return to India and restart his career or remain in the US by pursuing a PhD or even a second master's degree. His post has since gone viral on Reddit, with hundreds of users sharing advice and discussing the challenges faced by H-1B professionals. Many are encouraging him to start interviewing for AI roles in India before committing to another degree in the US. One user even suggested approaching his employer's India team directly. “They would be happy to have someone experienced with the client onsite and knows the project.
You can easily ask 40 LPA+ in this situation,” the user wrote. Responding to the suggestion, the engineer revealed that he had been offered either a role in India or a severance package. He wrote, "I was offered a role or severance. I took the severance instead because it was in USD." While the engineer's story has drawn attention because of its irony, it also highlights the uncertainty many H-1B workers are facing after losing their jobs. According to industry trackers, the global technology sector has seen well over 120,000 layoffs in 2026 as companies continue restructuring and increasing investments in artificial intelligence. Companies including Microsoft, Intel, Amazon, Google, Meta, Salesforce, Autodesk and several startups have all announced job cuts this year, with many citing restructuring, cost optimisation or an increased focus on AI.
The BriefWire