A former technology professional at Meta, who was part of the recent layoffs in May, stated that he faced the difficult choice of departing from the United States, the nation where he has established his life over the past 14 years, due to the urgency of his immigration situation. Former Meta program manager Sridhar Vanka, facing immigration issues post-layoff, will return to India after 14 years in the US.Sridhar Vanka, who has served as a technical program manager at Meta since 2022, shared on LinkedIn his plans to move to Hyderabad, India, and seek employment, as his time in the US regarding his immigration status has now expired.Indian techie shares ‘gut-wrenching’ experienceIn his post, the Indian techie opened up about his 7 weeks emotional roller coaster ride, in which he witnessed optimism, hope, uncertainty, anxiety, heart breaks and waiting.“I have grown tired of my immigration status fore-shadowing every conversation. There were also a few exciting opportunities that I could not pursue because of the afore-mentioned immigration clock,” Vanka wrote.Also Read: Who is Navdeep Sharma? H-1B techie stranded in India for 18 months faces big blow in US court“My family is now wrapping up a life we built here in the US over the last 14 years and looking to start over in Hyderabad starting next week. A lot of wonderful memories and friendships - these last couple of weeks have been gut-wrenching,” he continued.In Vanka's situation, he has had an extensive career in the US, having worked with Amazon and TCS before joining Meta.Typically, an H-1B visa holder is granted a maximum of 60 days to stay in the US following a layoff, or until their I-94 expires, depending on which event occurs first. During this grace period, they must secure a new position to maintain their residency in the US. Often, visa holders opt to transition to a B1/B2 visa or an F1 visa to prolong their stay; however, this has become increasingly challenging and is not a practical option for senior-level professionals to return to academic studies.Meta layoffs and severance payMeta recently announced a new wave of layoffs, affecting approximately 8,000 employees, which constitutes around 10% of the workforce.Several employees have shared their experiences regarding the job reductions on social media, while Business Insider has acquired a letter from Meta addressed to those who were laid off. Affected workers will receive 16 weeks of severance pay, in addition to two weeks for each year of service at Meta, excluding the notice period. They will also be provided with 18 months of COBRA health insurance coverage for themselves and their families.In a communication to employees, CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed his optimism about the initiatives being developed to empower billions of individuals to express themselves and connect with their loved ones. He also conveyed his hopefulness.Meta is "transforming our company to make sure it will always be the best place for talented people to have the greatest impact," Zuckerberg said. "We do not expect other company-wide layoffs this year."