Many Indian techies and IT professionals who have been rendered jobless in the recent layoff spree have become part of WhatsApp groups aimed at finding a solution to their current helplessness. Around two lakh have reportedly been laid off by tech majors including Google, Microsoft and Amazon. Their issue is that they have to find another job within the few months allowed them by their work visas.
In a bid to help these IT professionals, the Global Indian Technology Professionals Association (GITPRO) and Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) has introduced an initiative that will help job seekers get in touch with employers who require their services. In fact, FIIDS will also attempt to convince policy makers and decision-makers at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to help resolve the situation.
Most of the impacted IT professionals are on H-1B and L1 visas. These are non-immigrant visas that let American organisations employ professionals from outside the US in jobs requiring specialised skills or expertise. Thousands of Indian and Chinese techies and IT professionals are employed leveraging this visa.
However, for H-1B visa holders, many of whom are Indians, it is an emergency situation. They have only 60 days to find another job and get their visa status changed, failing which they will be forced to return to their home country.
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