A huge number of Indian IT professionals have been rendered jobless due to a reduction in headcount at big tech companies, such as Google, Amazon and Microsoft, among others. While people are now struggling to find new employment within the stipulated period under their work visas, others who have employment may not be able to get employee-sponsored green cards.
As per a report, Google has also paused a programme that offers employment-based green cards to workers.
According to The Washington Post, Indian workers are among nearly 200,000 IT workers who have been laid off since November last year. Citing industry insiders, news agency Press Trust of India says that between 30-40% of laid off employees at big tech companies are Indian IT professionals – a significant number of whom are on H-1B and L1 visas.
If a person with an H1B visa is terminated from employment in the US, he/ she will have 60 days to find a new job. In case they fail, the person will need to move back to his/ her home country. However, those who have a green card need not worry about the 60-day limit to find a new job.
Google pauses PERM
Google recently announced that it will reduce its employee headcount by 12,000. It also paused its Program Electronic Review Management (PERM), which is a key step in acquiring an employer-sponsored green card (permanent residence).

Multiple reports suggest that Google has sent an email to foreign employees, notifying them that the tech giant will pause any new filings of PERM.
“Recognising how this news may impact some of you and your families, I wanted to update you as quickly as possible on the difficult decision we’ve had to make to pause new PERM applications. This does not impact other visa applications or programmes,” an email from a company executive read, news agency IANS reported.
The email was posted on Team Blind, an anonymous social networking site for certified IT workers. To get a green card under PERM, employers are required to demonstrate that there are no qualified US workers available for the particular role. With the layoffs, there has been an increase in the number of people looking for jobs.
“As a result, we, along with other tech companies, have seen a notable increase in the number of PERM cases audited by the Department of Labor (DOL) for tech roles – which we believe is a result of more talent,” the email further read. However, Google said it would continue to support PERM applications already submitted.