Quick answer: Google and Microsoft are cutting headcount through voluntary exit offers, while Canva is restructuring 22% of its workforce through layoffs, role changes and relocation. For visa-dependent Indian techies, the bigger risk is the clock that starts after a job ends. Build a plan before you need one.
What is Google doing?
Google confirmed to Reuters that it began offering voluntary exit packages in June to some employees in Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Switzerland. Employees in Switzerland began leaving in August. A Google spokesperson said the program started in some teams in 2025 and that the company expanded it to a few countries this past summer.
Who’s excluded: Google Cloud and DeepMind employees have been excluded from past buyout offers. Reuters also noted that CFO Anat Ashkenazi has repeatedly named AI and cloud computing as key hiring priorities.
How many took it: Reuters couldn’t determine how many employees accepted. One person said at least four employees in a team of about 50 accepted, which describes one team, not the whole company.
Does it lead to layoffs? Reuters reported that in at least one case the company followed voluntary offers with a round of layoffs.
India: India is not on the reported list of countries.
What is Microsoft doing?
On October 26, Microsoft announced a Voluntary Exit Offer. About 60,000 employees across the US, Canada, India and the UK are eligible, at level 70 and below, roughly 27% of its 223,000-person workforce. Employees must decide in early December, and those who participate leave on December 31. One report says India-based staff must decide by December 1.
The package: standard severance, healthcare support and career transition help. That’s less generous than the earlier retirement program.
The earlier program: In April, Microsoft ran its first voluntary retirement program. Packages ranged from eight to 39 weeks of base pay. About 30% of those eligible took it.
What to expect now: A Microsoft spokesperson said similar initiatives at other companies saw about 5-6% of employees leave. Final numbers aren’t known, and 60,000 is the number eligible, not the number leaving.
Not a replacement for layoffs: Microsoft told GeekWire the program is not a replacement for layoffs, which remain part of its approach. Microsoft also announced about 4,800 job losses in July.
Why now: Microsoft plans to spend $190 billion on capital expenditures in 2026, largely tied to AI.
What is Canva doing?
Canva said it is cutting 22% of its staff, 1,271 people, amid a growth slowdown. More precisely, the 1,271 are affected by layoffs, role changes or relocation, and Canva has not said how many jobs will be eliminated. CEO Melanie Perkins wrote that growth has slowed for the first time in a decade.
Restructure: Canva will merge its product, growth and platform teams, reduce management layers, and make Sydney the main base for more product teams. From January 2027, most hybrid employees are expected in the office two to three days a week.
Support: departing employees receive at least six months’ salary and 12 months of healthcare where Canva already provides it. A new fund offers grants of up to US$10,000 for people starting a venture.
Timing: It varies across the 37 countries where Canva has teams.
Wider picture: Nearly 200,000 workers have been affected by tech layoffs in 2026.
How do these stories connect?
AI spending is squeezing costs. Google and Microsoft are pouring money into AI infrastructure while working to hold down headcount costs. Canva’s own cuts aren’t directly tied to AI spending in its announcement, but reports mention investors marking down its valuation and AI threats looming.
Companies are flattening. Fewer management layers, combined teams and less specialization (Canva said it’s reducing “subspecialisation” ) all point to leaner organizations.
Voluntary first, involuntary later. Voluntary exits give employers a softer way to shrink, but they aren’t a guarantee against layoffs, as Google’s and Microsoft’s own statements suggest.
Which Indian techies and NRIs are most exposed?
General guidance, not legal advice.
| Persona | Main risk | What to do now |
|---|---|---|
| H-1B holder (no green card filed) | A job ending starts a short clock to find a new sponsor | Update your resume and network now, ask HR how severance affects your last day, and speak to an immigration attorney before accepting any exit offer |
| H-1B with green card in process | Losing the employer can disrupt the case | Ask your attorney about your I-140 and priority date status before making any decision |
| H-4 spouse | Their status depends on the H-1B holder’s | Plan together, and check dependent work authorization status |
| Green card holder or US citizen | Mainly financial and career | Check severance tax, stock vesting dates and health coverage |
| India-based Microsoft employee | Decision deadline around December 1 | Compare package, notice period, insurance cover and your next move before deciding |
| Indian tech worker in Australia on employer sponsorship (Canva) | A restructure can end your sponsorship | Check the Australian Home Affairs rules on how long you have to find a new sponsor |
| F-1/OPT students and new grads | A tighter hiring market | Widen your search beyond big tech, and build projects and AI skills |
What’s the bigger risk for H-1B workers?
The grace period. DHS has proposed eliminating the discretionary grace period of up to 60 days for H-1B and other work-visa holders after employment ends. It has not yet become law, and the current 60-day grace period remains in effect. It must go through rulemaking and public comment before a final rule. One report claimed around 10,000 Indian H-1B professionals returned to India in the first half of 2026 after losing jobs and failing to find new ones in time, but that figure comes from a single report. Treat it as unverified.
The November midterms add another variable. Democrats are projected to control Congress from January, but as we reported yesterday, several H-1B restrictions stem from executive action and agency policy, which Congress can’t simply reverse.
What should you do before 2027?
- Know your clock. Learn your visa expiry, I-94 date, and what happens on your last day of employment.
- Build a runway. Many advisors suggest 6-12 months of expenses, especially for visa holders.
- Keep a job-ready profile. Update your resume and LinkedIn, and reconnect with your network before you need it.
- Think about immigration options with your attorney: employer transfer plans, green card timing, other visa categories, or a Canada/UK/Australia backup.
- Learn AI-adjacent skills and aim for broader product ownership, as companies favor leaner, cross-functional teams.
- Read the fine print of any voluntary exit offer, including severance, stock, healthcare, and what “leaving” means for your visa.
Key dates to watch
- November 10: Canva company-wide meeting
- Early December (December 1 per one report): Microsoft voluntary exit decision deadline
- December 31: Microsoft participants’ last day
- January 2027: Canva office policy starts; new US Congress sworn in
FAQs
Is the Google or Microsoft buyout a layoff? No. It’s voluntary, but companies can also lay off employees separately.
If I take a voluntary exit on H-1B, do I get the 60 days? Possibly, but it depends on your last day and your facts. Check with an immigration attorney before you sign anything.
Will the grace period actually end? Not yet. The proposal has to complete the rulemaking process.
Should I leave my job now for a “safer” one? Not necessarily. Safety depends on your visa, finances and the team, so weigh them rather than react to headlines.
This article is for information only and is not legal, immigration, tax or financial advice. Some details were still developing when written.
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