I moved to the US for Meta. When layoffs came, I was scared of losing my new life, not just my job.

A Meta employee recounts how the company’s mass layoffs in November 2022 highlighted the acute vulnerability of visa-dependent workers, showing layoffs can threaten employees’ immigration status, families, and ability to stay in the US. The author — who moved to Miami in 2019 on an L-1 visa, later self-petitioned for a green card, resigned from Meta in 2024, and received permanent residency in 2025 — argues that visa holders and employers should plan for mobility and protections beyond payroll. Market impact is indirect: large tech workforce cuts can create reputational and talent-retention risks for firms that rely on immigrant labor, potentially prompting companies to rethink immigration support, retention practices, and contingency planning for visa-dependent staff.