Current:Home > MyWhen big tech laid off these H-1B workers, a countdown began-LoTradeCoin
When big tech laid off these H-1B workers, a countdown began
View Date:2024-12-23 21:08:00
People come from all over the world to work in U.S. tech. And during the tech boom years, the industry relied heavily on foreign workers. This is how we built Silicon Valley – with great minds coming from everywhere to work in the U.S.
But when the industry started to shrink, all of these people who moved here for work are finding that linking their jobs to their residency is really complicated. That was the case for Aashka and Nilanjan. Aashka was a product engineer at Amazon, and Nilanjan worked in digital advertising for Google. They both lost their jobs in the layoffs each company announced earlier this year.
When Aashka and Nilanjan got the news, a clock started ticking. Because they are both H-1B recipients, they only have 60 days to find new jobs before they risk being sent home. And they can't get just any job – they need new employers in their field willing to sponsor their visa.
On today's show, we followed two tech workers as they tried to find jobs before their visas expired, and what they went through as H-1B recipients trying to stay in the country.
This episode was hosted by Alyssa Jeong Perry and Amanda Aronczyk, produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler, engineered by James Willetts, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez, and edited by Molly Messick and Jess Jiang.
Help support Planet Money and get bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.
Always free at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR One or anywhere you get podcasts.
Find more Planet Money: Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.
Music: "County Seat," "Secret Passage," and "Machine Melody."
veryGood! (166)
Related
- Will Trump’s hush money conviction stand? A judge will rule on the president-elect’s immunity claim
- Kansas police chief suspended in wake of police raid on local newspaper
- Yes, Pete Davidson's Dating History Was Stacked Well Before He Was Linked to Madelyn Cline
- Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are suddenly everywhere. Why we're invested — and is that OK?
- Atmospheric river to bring heavy snow, rain to Northwest this week
- The community of traveling families using the globe as their classroom is growing. Welcome to the world school revolution
- 90 Day Fiancé's Shaeeda Sween Shares Why She Decided to Share Her Miscarriage Story
- Donald Trump expects to attend start of New York civil trial Monday
- Garth Brooks wants to move his sexual assault case to federal court. How that could help the singer.
- AP Top 25: Georgia’s hold on No. 1 loosens, but top seven unchanged. Kentucky, Louisville enter poll
Ranking
- Stock market today: Asian stocks dip as Wall Street momentum slows with cooling Trump trade
- Federal student loan payments are starting again. Here’s what you need to know
- A European body condemns Turkey’s sentencing of an activist for links to 2013 protests
- Southern California, Lincoln Riley top Misery Index because they can't be taken seriously
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, 4G
- Ukraine aid left out of government funding package, raising questions about future US support
- A fight over precious groundwater in a rural California town is rooted in carrots
- Grant program for Black women entrepreneurs blocked by federal appeals court
Recommendation
-
See Chris Evans' Wife Alba Baptista Show Her Sweet Support at Red One Premiere
-
In a good sign for China’s struggling economy, factory activity grows for the first time in 6 months
-
4 Baton Rouge officers charged in connection with brave cave scandal
-
Simone Biles soars despite having weight of history on her at worlds
-
COINIXIAI Introduce
-
College football Week 5 grades: Bloviating nonsense has made its way to 'College GameDay'
-
It's not just FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried. His parents also face legal trouble
-
Young Evangelicals fight climate change from inside the church: We can solve this crisis in multiple ways