Key Takeaways
• OPT workers face layoffs with only 60 days to secure new employment or leave the U.S.
• Employer sponsorship is essential for H-1B transition, which layoffs disrupt, risking workers’ immigration status.
• In 2025, over 55,000 layoffs and 145,000 job cuts deeply impact foreign professionals’ legal status and opportunities.
A growing number of Optional Practical Training (OPT) workers in the United States 🇺🇸 are becoming worried about their future as layoff announcements continue to spread across many industries and federal agencies. These workers, mostly international graduates, depend on job stability not only for income but also for their legal right to stay in the country. As layoff numbers rise, their plans to move from OPT status to an H-1B visa—a popular work permit for foreign professionals—hang in the balance.
Widespread Layoffs Hit OPT Workers Hard
Layoffs are on the rise nationwide. Recently, an OPT worker shared that their company notified them of job cuts planned for late June 2025. This is not an isolated event. Federal mass layoffs have been rolling out through 2025, with the New York Times counting more than 55,000 confirmed job cuts, 76,000 employee buyouts, and about 145,000 more reductions announced by April 14, 2025. Layoffs are reaching far beyond private companies, deeply impacting government positions as well.
At one federal agency, 43% of the 6,500-person workforce faces unemployment. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that around 16,000 employees—16% of its total staff—have accepted offers to leave their jobs in two recent rounds. Although some government workers are getting their jobs back after courts said their firings were not legal, more layoffs keep coming.
This unstable environment is especially troubling for foreign workers relying on OPT.
Why Layoffs Are So Costly for OPT Workers
OPT workers are in a unique and challenging spot. Here’s why losing a job hits them much harder than it might seem:
- Strict Time Limit: If an OPT worker loses their job, they have just 60 days to find new employment or they must leave the United States 🇺🇸. This short window adds intense stress, especially when many employers are letting people go instead of hiring.
- Pressure to Take Any Job: Because the time to find a new position is so limited, many OPT workers feel pushed to accept jobs they might not otherwise want. The need to keep legal work authorization and avoid having to leave the country can lead them to accept lower pay or poor working conditions, just to stay in the country legally.
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H-1B Visa Transition Problems: The H-1B visa is a work permit that lets foreign workers with special skills work in the United States 🇺🇸 for three years. Most OPT workers hope to switch to this visa before their OPT status runs out. Getting the H-1B depends on a job offer from an employer, enough time left on OPT to bridge the gap until the H-1B starts, and keeping their immigration status valid. A layoff during this period can throw all of these plans off track.
VisaVerge.com’s investigation reveals that the recent surge in layoffs leaves many OPT workers scared and unsure about what to do next, since their ability to stay in the country and work legally depends on things they cannot control.
How Layoffs Complicate the H-1B Visa Process
It’s not easy to move from OPT status to an H-1B visa. Let’s look at some of the main hurdles that layoffs create for workers hoping to make this switch:
The Role of Employer Sponsorship
Unlike some other visa options, OPT workers cannot apply for the H-1B on their own. They need a U.S. employer to sponsor them by submitting the petition. If they lose their job, they lose their sponsor, without whom the H-1B process cannot move forward.
Timing Is Everything
The H-1B application usually happens once a year, with most visas starting in October. Workers need to have their OPT status active at least until their H-1B begins, so losing a job close to this period can leave workers with “gaps” in status, making them ineligible and risking their legal stay.
The 60-Day Rule
U.S. immigration rules allow OPT workers only 60 days after job loss to secure new employment or leave the country. In tough job markets with lots of layoffs, 60 days can pass in a flash, closing the window for an H-1B application or forcing a worker to leave before the process is complete.
Real-Life Impact: An Example
A recent case shows just how tricky things can get. One foreign worker, caught between the end of their STEM OPT (an extra 24 months of practical training for graduates in science, technology, engineering, or math) and the start of their H-1B, ended up working two full-time jobs for three weeks without realizing it. This overlap happened during the transition period and caused confusion with their work authorization. Even small mistakes like this can lead to legal problems and risk the worker’s visa status.
Weaker Bargaining Power for Laid-Off Workers
OPT workers who face layoffs aren’t just worried about their job and visa—they also find themselves with less power to ask for better conditions at work. Those on the H-1B visa who have not yet been laid off face a similar challenge. The constant worry about losing their status and being forced to leave makes them less likely to speak up about problems like extra work hours, pay cuts, or unfair treatment.
This fear can open the door to misuse by some employers. Workers may find themselves stuck in poor jobs with no easy way out, simply because walking away could mean being sent out of the country.
Legal Maze: More Than Just Jobs at Stake
The legal side of things only makes matters more stressful for OPT workers. The whole process—from staying in status, to matching up dates between OPT and H-1B, to making sure applications are done on time—can be confusing, especially when stress levels are high and job security is low.
Key hurdles include:
- Employer Sponsorship Needs: Workers cannot get an H-1B visa without an employer stepping up to sponsor them. A layoff wipes out this step, sometimes with little warning. If a worker secures a new job quickly, getting that new employer to sponsor an H-1B application in a short time is tough.
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Surprise Gaps in Employment: Because of how dates can line up, workers might find themselves out of work before their H-1B can start. If OPT status runs out before H-1B approval, the worker may have to go home or stay without permission, both of which are risky.
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No Room for Mistakes: Small errors, like working two jobs when only one is allowed, or missing paperwork deadlines, can cause big problems. Once a worker falls out of approved status, it’s not easy to fix.
To better understand your options or check if you meet all the requirements for H-1B sponsorship, you can find clear, official details on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services H-1B page.
Mental and Emotional Toll on Workers
This job and immigration stress doesn’t just affect paperwork and paychecks. It changes everyday life for these workers and their families. Imagine paying tuition for college in the United States 🇺🇸, finishing your degree, and landing an OPT position, only to get a layoff notice right before you’re due to transfer onto the H-1B visa.
This level of insecurity impacts:
- Personal finances, as workers scramble to support themselves and sometimes family abroad.
- Emotional health, as the fear of having to leave after building a life in the United States 🇺🇸 weighs heavily.
- Future plans, since moving back and forth between countries can disrupt education, professional growth, and family life.
OPT workers are often young people at the start of their careers, who came to the United States 🇺🇸 seeking opportunity and stability. For them, the sudden threat of losing everything can be especially harsh.
Questioning Current Policies and Seeking Flexibility
Many are now asking if U.S. immigration rules should be changed to help OPT workers in times of broad layoffs. Critics say current rules, like the strict 60-day limit for finding new jobs and the requirement that OPT students can’t apply for H-1B visas on their own, are too rigid during times like these.
Those who support more flexible policies argue this would:
- Help the United States 🇺🇸 keep talented graduates, who have already trained here, rather than forcing them to leave in tough times.
- Give workers and employers more breathing room to make careful, not rushed, decisions.
- Reduce the risk that workers will accept poor job offers just to stay in the country.
On the other hand, those against changing current policy point out that immigration rules are meant to keep a fair process and prevent abuse. Changing them quickly might cause more complications.
What Happens Next?
For now, the uncertain job climate looks set to continue, with federal agencies still cutting jobs and employers being careful about new hires. This means:
- OPT workers must watch the calendar carefully and act fast if laid off.
- H-1B visa applicants could see longer waiting times or tougher competition for employer sponsorship.
- The whole U.S. workforce, including both American and foreign workers, may feel the effects of ongoing layoffs.
Government agencies are under pressure to provide up-to-date guidance for foreign workers so they can better understand their options and risks. Lawmakers may be asked to make rules about how to handle work authorization during large waves of layoffs.
What Should OPT Workers and Employers Do?
If you are an OPT worker facing possible layoffs or are considering an H-1B transition, it’s important to:
- Keep close track of your employment status and OPT timeline.
- Have a list of employers in your industry who may be hiring—contact them proactively.
- Get legal help early if you are laid off or fear a gap in status or paperwork.
- Talk openly with your current or potential employer about key dates and sponsorship needs.
- Stay up to date with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announcements.
Employers thinking about hiring or keeping OPT or H-1B workers will need to plan ahead and be clear with workers about possible layoffs, rights, and timelines. Being upfront helps avoid mistakes and panic down the road.
The Road Ahead
In summary, OPT workers facing layoffs in the United States 🇺🇸 are being tested like never before. With the transition to the H-1B visa suddenly in question for so many talented professionals, the stakes are high—not just for them but also for the country, which relies on highly trained workers from all over the world. It will be important for both workers and employers to stay informed, act quickly, and support each other through this difficult period.
As the situation continues to unfold, regular updates from trusted sources will play a key role, and VisaVerge.com will keep sharing important news for the immigration community. Ultimately, the hope is for more clear and flexible rules that recognize the real life impact of layoffs and help support the dreams of those who came to the United States 🇺🇸 seeking a better future.
Learn Today
OPT (Optional Practical Training) → A program allowing international graduates to work temporarily in the U.S. in a field related to their studies.
H-1B Visa → A temporary work visa for specialized foreign professionals, valid for up to three years, requiring employer sponsorship.
Employer Sponsorship → A company’s support and petition for a foreign worker’s visa, necessary for obtaining or extending work authorization.
STEM OPT Extension → A 24-month extension of OPT for graduates in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics fields.
60-Day Rule → Immigration regulation granting OPT workers 60 days after job loss to find new employment or leave the country.
This Article in a Nutshell
Rising layoffs in the United States create uncertainty for OPT workers, whose legal status hinges on job stability. The strict 60-day rule and the requirement for employer-sponsored H-1B visas exacerbate anxiety. Many must accept any job or risk deportation, highlighting the challenges of current immigration policy during mass layoffs.
— By VisaVerge.com
Read more:
• How to move from Temporary Protected Status to an H-1B visa
• H-1B Holders Can Apply for B-2 Change of Status More Than Once
• REAL ID deadline nears: What F-1 students and H-1B workers should know
• What Happens When H-1B Workers’ Children Age Out of the H-4 Visa?
• H-1B to B-2 Visa: What to Know After a Job Loss in the US
