I worked at Amazon on an F-1 visa as layoffs mounted. Here's why I left for a semiconductor company.
A former Amazon software engineer shares his experience navigating the US job market on an F-1 visa during a period of tech layoffs. He ultimately transitioned to the semiconductor industry, citing better job security and the utility of AI tools in his professional development.
Why it matters
Highlights the intersection of immigration policy, job security for international workers, and the shifting landscape of the tech labor market.
Vinit Juneja says his visa status was one of several factors that influenced his decision to leave Amazon. Vinit Juneja Vinit Juneja left his software engineering role at Amazon earlier this year. As an F-1 visa holder, he said Big Tech layoffs reshaped how he thought about job security. He explained why he chose the semiconductor industry and how AI helped him ramp up quickly. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Vinit Juneja, a technical product manager at Applied Materials and former Amazon software engineer. He's 24 and lives in Austin, Texas. The following has been edited for length and clarity. My visa status shaped my journey to Amazon — and ultimately my decision to leave. In 2023, I moved to the US from India to pursue a master's degree at Columbia University.
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