Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

US: Layoffs hurt Indian workers amid 195-year wait for permanent residency

Job cuts at Meta and Twitter have proven disadvantageous for around 350 immigrants, report says.

US: Layoffs hurt Indian workers amid 195-year wait for permanent residency

Layoffs in the US technology sector have impacted the Indian community who are staying there on temporary visas more than any other foreign groups.

Their problem has arisen due to backlogs in obtaining green cards or permanent residency in the country.

Major companies have resorted to mass layoffs as soaring inflation is eroding their profits. H-1B visa holders who lost their jobs have to find new employment in the country within two months if they want to continue their stay there.

H-1B visas are issued for three years with a provision for extension and each year a maximum of 85,000 foreigners are allowed. The demand is high for visas, particularly among Indian professionals.

However, America’s immigration laws allow H-1B visa holders to stay in the country for only up to 60 days after the termination of their contracts. They have to leave the country unless some other employers sponsor their visas.

Amazon, Twitter, Meta and Lyft and other technology companies have sponsored some 45,000 H-1B visas over the past three years and layoffs at Meta and Twitter have proven to be disadvantageous for around 350 immigrants, a Bloomberg report said.

A congressional document estimated that the waiting time for Indians who applied for green cards in 2020 goes to as long as 195 years. This compares 18 years for Chinese workers and less than a year for people from the rest of the world.

The Bloomberg report cited the example of an H-1B holder from India, who recently bought a house in Seattle to start a job with Meta.

Having lived in the US for 15 years, the father of two is now hoping to find a job as a technical product or program manager. He has been scouring his networks on LinkedIn, joining dedicated WhatsApp groups and submitting application after application, the report said.

More For You

Southport stabbings: Terrorism watchdog rejects definition change

FILE PHOTO: Riot police hold back protesters near a burning police vehicle in Southport, England (Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Southport stabbings: Terrorism watchdog rejects definition change

TERRORISM watchdog has rejected calls to redefine terrorism following last summer's tragic Southport murders, while recommending a new offence to tackle those intent on mass killings without clear ideological motives.

Jonathan Hall KC, the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, published his highly anticipated report on Thursday (13), concluding that the existing definition of terrorism should remain unchanged despite growing concerns about violent attackers with unclear motives.

Keep ReadingShow less
Commonwealth wreath-laying ceremony held in London

A military piper, choir, and the Sikh soldiers of the British Army took part in the ceremony.

Commonwealth wreath-laying ceremony held in London

A WREATH-LAYING ceremony was held at the Memorial Gates on Constitution Hill in London on 10 March to honour Commonwealth servicemen and women who fought in the First and Second World Wars.

Lord Boateng, chairman of the Memorial Gates Council, led the event, highlighting the importance of remembering those who served.

Keep ReadingShow less
Student visas

The ongoing negotiations focus specifically on business mobility, addressing only the relevant business visas

iStock

Student visas excluded from UK-India FTA talks, says government

THE government last week clarified that only temporary business mobility visas are part of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.

Other types of visas, such as student visas, will not be included in the trade deal, it was revealed during a debate in the House of Lords.

Keep ReadingShow less
India Detains Crypto Administrator Wanted by US for Laundering

Aleksej Besciokov, was charged with money laundering and accused of violating sanctions and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business, according to the US Justice Department. (Photo: US Secret Service)

India arrests crypto administrator wanted by US for money laundering

INDIAN authorities have arrested a cryptocurrency exchange administrator at the request of the United States on charges of money laundering conspiracy and sanctions violations, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said on Wednesday.

The arrest follows a joint operation by the United States, Germany, and Finland, which dismantled the online infrastructure of Russian cryptocurrency exchange Garantex.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer-Getty

Starmer said that the change would free up funds for doctors, nurses, and frontline services while reducing red tape to accelerate improvements in the health system. (Photo: Getty Images)

Starmer scraps NHS England, brings health service under ministerial control

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer has abolished NHS England, bringing the health service under direct ministerial control.

The decision reverses a key reform introduced by former health secretary Andrew Lansley during the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition, The Guardian reported.

Keep ReadingShow less