May
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Recently, BEA Systems (the company that I work for) was acquired by Oracle. Everyone was all smiles as the stock price went up, giving us a nice gain. Of course, that was until we found out that there was a mass reduction of the number of positions available. Unfortunately (or fortunately as I’m finding out), I happen to be one of these people!
When I first heard the news, I’d felt shocked as I didn’t expect a layoff. After all, I was maintaining a decent chunk of the code, so it seemed like there should be some need to have me around! As things stood though, I wasn’t quite sure how to react.
On one hand, the severance pay was really high. Most of the people seemed to want to get a layoff so that they can get the severance package. On the other hand, I was still in the US on a H-1B visa and needed company sponsorship in order to continue working (or so I thought). As a result, I just sat there for a few minutes, feeling a bit stunned.
This is where being an INTJ seems to be very helpful! From my perspective, it didn’t actually matter much how I felt, only what I needed to do! “So what are my options?” My brain immediately launched ahead.
Well, aside from the overhanging problem of being possibly deported from the United States, the layoff was a good thing. I get a huge severance package and get to move on to a new project that probably would interest me more than the one I did at BEA! Not to mention I’d probably get a big raise and another sign on bonus, so things weren’t exactly bad on that front! Additionally, my other option was to work on my own company WM Media, which I’d wanted to focus on more anyway!
Yet, having struggled for so long in the US for a chance at a green card, this doesn’t seem like a particularly good turn of events! Therefore, the first priority is to figure out just exactly how long I have!
With the help of my girlfriend, we immediately dove into Google to see just exactly what my status was. While doing that, I forwarded my resume to a few job leads provided by my coworkers and manager, just to get the ball rolling 
If you’re curious, here’s it turned out: Warren Wong’s Resume!
After hours and hours of research, we finally figured out what my status in the US was! Because my I-485 (Adjustment of Status to a permanent resident) application had been pending for more than 180 days, I was essentially free to work anywhere! I had an EAD (Employee Authorization Document) card which allowed me to work on any job as long as the job classification was “same or similar” – so basically, any software engineering job! Furthermore, I am allowed to work on any side job, as well as be self employed! That means I can be an employee at WM Media (my own company), and work on my blog as a side income!
After discovering this, I suddenly felt so free! After years of struggle, I am now free to devote my attention to anything I want and do anything I want! On top of that, I get a pile of cash while I take my time to figure it out!
Not bad for a layoff!
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Your article shows tells me you must have a lot of background in this topic.