The recent mass layoffs at big US tech firms have caused uncertainty for several Indians working on non- immigrant visas. A product manager at Meta who was affected spoke to a journalist about how it took her time to accept it and what she plans to do next.
My mother was celebrating her birthday. When I was staying up late to wish her a happy birthday, I got messages from my friends about the layoffs. They were worried.
I was let go at around 6 am. Meta hired me as a product manager. I had been performing well and my team was surprised.
Work is worship was instilled by my favourite teacher at school. It felt like the Titanic was sinking when I lost access to everything in one fell swoop. I was pleasantly surprised by my network on the professional networking site. Many people reached out in a very supportive way. I felt like I belonged to this country because it made me feel like there are so many people who care for me.
My H1-B visa allows me to stay in the US for another 60 days after my last day at Meta, so I need to find a new job by March.
The holiday season will make it difficult to find a job in December. I'm concentrating very well. I am in contact with many companies.
The workplace is what I'll miss the most. Being at Meta meant being able to build an amazing product for millions of people, as well as participating in growth and learning opportunities. It would have been great to see the project progress further.
My parents instilled in me the virtue of never giving up. I'm told to stay strong because I can turn problems into opportunities. They told me "aur kuch accha mil jayega", which means you will find something better.
I depend on my H1-B visa to be able to work and stay in the US. In order to build my career in the US, I have worked very hard on my strength and intelligence. I have been in the United States for more than 15 years, but I feel like I'm in the same place as everyone else because of the limitations of permanent residency. At New York Fashion Week, I walked the runway. I have a radio show.
The US has a country cap which makes it hard for Indian H1-B holders to get a green card. Even though I am in the green card queue, I sometimes get a wait time of two decades or more.
The uncertainty causes our personal life to suffer. I don't know if I should invest in a home if I have to leave, or if I should just leave. Even though I have a great idea, I can't start a company because I don't have a green card.
Even though it's my dream to travel the world, even though I traveled to 30 countries before turning 30 years old, I'm not able to because I'm nervous about facing problems while trying to get my H1-B visa re- stamped. I've heard from some of my friends that they get stuck abroad.
I have stopped going back to India. I got stuck in India a long time ago. I had to get my visa stamped before I went to the wedding. It took several months for it to come through as it went through random administrative processing. There were problems in my marriage because of the uncertainty. My marriage was affected by the visas issues. It was one of the main reasons for the break up of my marriage. I dropped out of a semester at New York University because I didn't know when I'd be able to come back to the US. People on H-1Bs have to deal with this.
I haven't met my parents in three and a half years because they haven't been able to come to see me. They are old and don't keep well. I wonder if I can help my parents if they need it. We don't know how it affects our life.
This experience has a silver lining despite what has happened. It's important that I'm spiritual in my life. I am a follower of the Indian yoga guru Jaggi Vasudev. We should not be identified only by our professional role, according to him. Which company do you work for is the most common question in Silicon Valley. I'm not just a product manager. Everyone should realize that they are more than just a job.
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