H-1B software engineer fears AI-driven layoffs, seeks new role for stability
Ayush Raj Jha, an H-1B holder who worked at Oracle, says AI advances and recent tech cuts have forced him into constant upskilling and a job hunt for a more secure position.
Ayush Raj Jha arrived in the United States in 2018 to study computer science, later earning a master's from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He began his career at Motorola Solutions before moving to Oracle, where he helped build cloud infrastructure for healthcare applications. The release of ChatGPT and subsequent layoffs across the sector, especially Oracle's cuts in March, made Jha worry about his future on an H-1B visa that offers only a two-month window to secure new employment.
To remain competitive, he devotes eight to ten hours each week to learning AI, contributing to open-source projects and taking courses on platforms such as LinkedIn Learning and Coursera. In July he accepted a staff software engineer position at a privately owned customer-service software company, attracted by its stronger engineering culture and perceived stability. He will pause for about two months before starting, allowing time for his visa transfer to be finalized. Jha advises other tech workers, visa-holder or not, to continuously update their skills and stay interview-ready amid rapid AI adoption.
Why it matters
The story highlights how AI and layoffs pressure visa-dependent tech workers to constantly reskill and seek stable employment.
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