Layoff event · Updated May 24, 2026
Meta laid off ~8,000 people on May 20, 2026. Here’s what to do if you’re on H-1B.
Meta’s May 20 cut affected Reality Labs, Facebook social, recruiting, sales, and global operations. California WARN filings: Burlingame 124 effective May 22, Sunnyvale 74 effective May 29 — more notices expected. Meta is on the USCIS H-1B-dependent employer list and has historically provided immigration support (revocation timing, transfer letters, legal vendor referrals). That help is real but doesn’t reset your 60-day grace clock. This page maps your next 60 days.
Your clock starts the day you stop being paid, not the day of the announcement.
If you were notified May 20 with a last working day of May 30 (typical 60-day WARN-protected severance), your H-1B grace period runs through approximately July 29 (60 days after May 30). Confirm your exact last-paid date in your separation agreement and run the 60-day grace calculator with that date.
Days 0-7: lock in the basics
- Get your separation agreement in writing. Confirm: exact last-paid date, severance amount, RSU acceleration treatment, COBRA subsidy length, immigration- support commitments.
- Print your I-94 history from i94.cbp.dhs.gov. Print your USCIS Online Account I-797 history from my.uscis.gov. You’ll need both for any future filing.
- Confirm I-140 status. If you have an approved I-140 that has been approved more than 180 days, your priority date stays with you under AC21 §106(d) even if Meta revokes the petition. Document this NOW.
- Pull your tax transcripts. Request 3-5 years of IRS account transcripts at irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript. These power the equities exhibit if you end up filing I-485.
Days 7-30: parallel paths
Pursue multiple paths simultaneously — don’t bet everything on one option:
- H-1B transfer (highest priority). Use cap-exempt employers as a fast backstop — universities, research nonprofits, and affiliated entities can file I-129 without competing in the cap lottery. New employer’s I-129 receipt by USCIS (not approval) starts portability under INA §214(n) — you can begin work day-one of receipt.
- Concurrent H-1B (if you have one already). If you held a second concurrent H-1B before the Meta cut, you remain in valid status with no grace clock at all. See concurrent H-1B feasibility.
- B-2 visitor backstop. File I-539 to change to B-2 while transfer is in flight. Use our B-2 conversion risk calculator to score your filing timing and generate a cover letter. File EARLY in grace, not on day 58.
- EB-2 NIW pivot. Meta engineers, researchers, and PMs frequently meet NIW criteria. Run the EB-1A / NIW scorer and EB-2 NIW evidence builder. NIW self-petitions skip employer sponsorship entirely.
Meta-specific severance optimization
Meta’s severance package typically includes 16+ weeks base pay (longer with tenure), full RSU vesting accelerated through the next quarterly vest cliff, and 6 months of COBRA subsidy. The H-1B-relevant negotiation levers:
- Push for extended last-paid date. Every additional week of paid status extends your H-1B by that week before the grace clock starts.
- Confirm immigration-support clause.Ask in writing for: revocation notice 30+ days out, transfer letter from Meta HR confirming the layoff (not termination for cause), and continued use of Meta’s immigration vendor through the grace window.
- RSU acceleration interacts with worldwide income. If you accept the package and depart the US within the same tax year, the accelerated RSU income may be subject to both US and home-country tax. Discuss with a cross- border tax advisor before signing.
Detailed scripts for HR negotiations live in the Priority Plan’s severance-optimization playbook.
If your priority date is current: file I-485 now (but watch the AOS memo)
If you have an approved I-140 and your priority date is current under the current Visa Bulletin, filing the I-485 is usually the highest-leverage move during your grace window — it unlocks H-4 EAD for your spouse, AP for re-entry, and portability under AC21 §106. But USCIS issued Policy Memorandum PM-602-0199 on May 21, 2026 reframing AOS as “extraordinary discretionary relief.” A laid-off H-1B mid-grace now needs to FRONT-LOAD positive equities in the cover letter. Run the AOS Equities Builder before filing — the free preview shows your top equities and risks; Priority unlocks the full cover-letter scaffold.
What if nothing works by day 50?
Be honest about the timeline. If no transfer is materializing and B-2 isn’t a fit, plan an orderly departure:
- Run the departure cost calculator to estimate the financial side.
- Use the country hedge calculator to compare staying-via-marginal-options vs. orderly departure with optionality preserved.
- If you have an approved I-140, your priority date stays with you for life. Departing the US and reentering on a new H-1B (or transferring to a country with a smarter EB program like Canada or Australia) does not erase your I-140.
- File a visa stamping plan if you intend to return on a future H-1B — Chennai/ Hyderabad/Mumbai 221(g) administrative-processing waits are material right now.
Build your full plan in 90 seconds
$29 Standard delivers a personalized 60-day PDF tied to your exact last-paid date, family situation, and parallel paths you’re weighing. $129 Priority adds the cap-exempt employer shortlist, severance optimization playbook, EB-2 NIW evidence builder, AOS equities builder, and USCIS Case Watcher (3 receipts × 6 months).
This page summarizes publicly reported information about the Meta May 20, 2026 layoff and general H-1B post-termination options. It is not legal advice. Consult an immigration attorney for your specific situation.