From Google to layoff in 6 months: Woman on O-1 visa faces 60-day deadline to stay in USA

Landing a job at Google is a dream for many, but for Qisheng Li, that dream was cut short in just six months. The Quantitative UX Researcher, who joined Google Cloud in March 2025, is now facing the harsh reality of layoffs and the added pressure of an O-1 visa ticking clock. With only 60 days to find a new role in the US, her LinkedIn post has struck a chord online — mixing vulnerability with resilience.

In her post, Li shared how she never imagined writing about a layoff so soon after joining. “It’s tough knowing many talented colleagues are in the same boat,” she admitted, while revealing that she has only two months to secure her next opportunity before being forced to make a “significant international move.”

What makes her story stand out is not just the short stint at Google, but the powerhouse resume she carries. With a PhD in Computer Science (HCI), Li has worked across some of the biggest names in tech:


Google: Quantitative UXR on Cloud Generative AI & Security
Meta Reality Labs: AR, GenAI modelling and benchmarking, multimodal user interactions
Apple: Human-centred AI and accessibility

Despite the setback, Li is clear about her direction — she’s on the lookout for roles that let her translate complex data into business insights and push forward human-centred technology.

Internet reacts

One user sympathised with her situation and wished her the best, while another suggested that she could consider enlisting her own entity and migrating her O-1 visa to it as a way to stay in the country. Others also shared that they had been through similar struggles and could relate to what she was going through.