Does eBay Sponsor H-1B Visas After Its October 2026 Layoffs? Data, Roles and the OPT Path

eBay is cutting about 9% of its global workforce, yet USCIS approved 545 of its H-1B petitions in FY2024. What that means if you are applying, or if you were cut.

Part of our guide to companies that sponsor H-1B visas.

Does eBay sponsor H-1B visas? On the public record, yes. In fiscal year 2024, the latest full year in the data our employer pages use, the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub recorded EBAY INC of San Jose with 108 initial and 437 continuing H-1B approvals and one denial. eBay's Form 8-K dated 2026-10-20 announced a cut of about 9% of its global workforce and says nothing about visas. If you were laid off on an H-1B, the 60-day grace period still applies as of November 1, 2026; ending it is only a proposal.

Status as of November 1, 2026

• Announced: eBay's workforce reduction of about 9% (Form 8-K, earliest event 2026-10-20), expected to be substantially complete by the end of the first quarter of 2027.
• In effect: the worker grace period of up to 60 days at 8 CFR 214.1(l)(2); OPT unemployment limits of 90 days, or 150 in aggregate with STEM OPT; EO 14431, which tells agencies to weigh employer layoffs, with no implementing guidance.
• Proposed: eliminating the worker grace period (RIN 1615-AD22; comments close 2026-11-10; check the docket / Federal Register for the outcome after 2026-11-10); a $103,265 fee on cap-subject H-1B petitions (RIN 1615-AD20).
• Blocked: the agency policies that implemented the $100,000 H-1B payment. Proclamation 11069 stands on paper, but USCIS is not collecting the payment.
• Not announced: FY2028 H-1B registration dates.

Does eBay sponsor H-1B visas after the October 2026 layoffs?

eBay still appears to sponsor H-1B workers. Filing as EBAY INC in San Jose, California, it received 108 initial and 437 continuing H-1B approvals in FY2024, with one denial among 546 decisions. Its October 2026 Form 8-K announced a roughly 9% global workforce cut and said nothing about sponsorship. Any single opening is still decided role by role.

eBay's H-1B record in numbers

eBay's FY2024 H-1B decisions from the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub, as of 2026-11. FY2024 is the latest full year in the extract we use; the full record is on our eBay H-1B employer page.

What "initial" and "continuing" mean

USCIS's guide to understanding the Data Hub describes "New Employment Approval" as petitions with "New employment" selected on Form I-129, and lists continuation, change of employer, new concurrent and amended petitions as separate categories without saying how they roll up. Our reading: initial means new employment, where a first H-1B after F-1 OPT usually lands; continuing covers the rest, including transfers to eBay from other employers. By our arithmetic, about one in five of eBay's 546 decisions were initial.

What the numbers do not tell you

• Anything after the 8-K. The Hub records USCIS's first decision only, leaves out later decisions such as revocations, and excludes pending petitions, so it cannot show what eBay has done since October.
• Where the job is. The location is the employer's mailing address, which USCIS says "is not necessarily the beneficiary(ies) work location."
• Your odds. A 99.8% approval rate describes petitions eBay chose to file. The real gates are whether the team will sponsor and, for a cap-subject case, the lottery.

Our guide to checking whether an employer with layoffs still sponsors H-1B applies the same checks to any company.

What eBay's October 2026 8-K actually says

The 8-K (earliest event 2026-10-20, signed 2026-10-22) describes "a reduction of the Company's current global workforce by approximately 9%," with GAAP pre-tax charges of $130 million to $150 million, "substantially all" related to severance and post-employment benefits. The plan is "expected to be substantially complete by the end of the first quarter of 2027," and eliminations are "subject to local law and consultation requirements in certain countries." Read it on SEC EDGAR.

For visa holders, three things follow. The 9% is global and the filing gives no role count or US count; Reuters put the cut at roughly 1,000 roles. It never mentions H-1B, OPT or sponsorship, so no one outside eBay knows how many visa holders were affected, and we will not guess. And because the plan runs into 2027, last days may not all fall in October; your clock runs from your own last day.

Will the layoffs change how USCIS treats eBay's petitions?

No one can say yet. EO 14431, signed 2026-09-18 and in effect as a directive, tells agencies to take into account "whether the employer sponsor directly or indirectly engaged in layoffs within the previous year" or "plans future layoffs that negatively affect the employment of similarly situated United States workers" (section 3(a)). It creates no automatic denial and does not define "layoffs." As of 2026-11-01 there is no public DOL, USCIS or State guidance, no revised LCA form, and no DOL statement that the LCA review section 3(b) ordered has begun, so how agencies would weigh a cut like eBay's, which runs into 2027, is undefined. Our explainer on EO 14431 and employer layoffs tracks what is known.

Two lists eBay is not on, as of 2026-11-01:

• The PERM suspension. The eight employers named when it was announced on 2026-10-08 were Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini; there is still no written DOL notice or end date. Even for those eight, Mayer Brown notes it "does not suspend any employer from the H-1B program" (Mayer Brown summary).
• DOL's H-1B debarment list, which names six willful violators as of 2026-10-01 (DOL debarment list).

Does eBay hire OPT students and new grads with sponsorship?

eBay files first-time H-1B petitions, but USCIS does not say how many came from OPT or which roles they filled. Treat eBay as one target among several. Our guide to e-commerce and retail-tech H-1B sponsors lists alternatives.

What matters for an OPT or STEM OPT candidate, as of November 2026:

• The lottery. FY2028 registration is not announced; USCIS's registration page still shows FY2027, and 8 CFR 214.2(h)(8)(iii)(A)(3) requires at least 30 calendar days' notice. Wage-weighted selection, in effect since 2026-02-27, enters a Level IV registration four times and a Level I once, so a new-grad role's wage level matters.
• The $100,000 payment. The USCIS I-129 page says a court "vacated agency guidance implementing the $100,000 payment requirement." It is not collected, and a change of status USCIS grants inside the US was never covered.
• The $103,265 fee on cap-subject H-1B petitions (RIN 1615-AD20) is still proposed; comments closed 2026-09-24 and no final rule exists.
• STEM OPT basics. The employer must be enrolled in E-Verify and must complete Form I-983 with you. Ask; do not assume.

How to check which eBay roles get sponsored

1. Search "EBAY INC" in the USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub and compare initial with continuing approvals by fiscal year.
2. Download the latest LCA disclosure file (FY2026 Q3, through 2026-06-30) from DOL OFLC's performance data page and filter for eBay to see job titles, worksites and wages on its labor condition applications.
3. Download the PERM disclosure file from the same DOL page to see whether, and for which titles, eBay filed labor certifications.
4. Ask the recruiter in writing whether the role supports H-1B registration and, for STEM OPT, whether eBay will complete Form I-983.

Our guide on whether a company sponsors green cards shows how to read the PERM file against the LCA file.

Laid off at eBay on a visa: your options by status

Options after an eBay layoff, by status, as of 2026-11. Your own I-94, I-20 and notices govern over this table.

I was laid off at eBay on H-1B: how long do I have?

Up to 60 consecutive days, or until your I-94 ends if that comes first, once per authorized validity period. USCIS's archived page on options after termination, marked "out of date" but still the clearest agency statement, says "The maximum 60-day grace period starts the day after termination of employment," and says the termination date is typically the last day for which you were paid. How severance is paid can affect it, so have an immigration attorney read the separation agreement.

Inside the window, if eligible, you can be the beneficiary of a new employer's nonfrivolous petition, change status, file for adjustment of status, apply for a "compelling circumstances" EAD (which under 8 CFR 204.5(p) needs an approved immigrant petition and a priority date that is not current), or leave. Portability lets you "begin working for a new employer as soon as the employer properly files a new H-1B petition." Our guide to what the H-1B grace period covers after a layoff, termination or closure goes trigger by trigger.

The proposal to eliminate the grace period (about 27,000 comments as of 2026-11-01) closes for comment on 2026-11-10 at 11:59 p.m. ET (check the docket / Federal Register for the outcome after 2026-11-10). No 30-day or 180-day H-1B grace period exists or is proposed.

On STEM OPT at eBay: what to report, and when

1. Report the end of your eBay training to your DSO "within 10 days of the event" (SEVP STEM OPT reporting page).
2. Submit your final Form I-983 evaluation to the DSO within 10 days after the job ends; skipping it "would be a violation of the terms of the Form I-983."
3. Track your days on the SEVIS Help Hub unemployment counter: 150 in aggregate, including post-completion OPT days.
4. Confirm a new employer is enrolled in E-Verify "before the student begins to work for pay."
5. Send your DSO a new Form I-983 "within 10 days of starting the new practical training opportunity."

On post-completion OPT, the limit is 90 days (ICE BCM 2101-01). For a first-two-weeks checklist across statuses, see our plan for the October 2026 tech layoffs.

Can eBay withdraw my H-1B after a layoff?

Yes. Answering what happens if the same employer rehires you, the archived USCIS page says that once an employer has "notified us of the termination, thus automatically revoking the petition approval," it "would need to file a new petition." A new employer files its own petition in any case, so the revocation mostly matters if eBay later wants you back. USCIS's H-1B page adds that the employer "will be liable for the reasonable costs of your return transportation" if it ends your job before your authorized stay ends. Ask eBay HR in writing about both.

Do you have an eBay I-140? AC21 and your priority date

Under 8 CFR 205.1, an employer's withdrawal revokes an employment-based petition only if it is filed less than 180 days after approval (and no related I-485 has been pending 180 days); later, the petition "remains approved unless its approval is revoked on other grounds." Under 8 CFR 204.5(e)(2), the priority date is lost only if USCIS revokes the approval for fraud or willful misrepresentation, DOL revocation or invalidation of the labor certification, or material error. An approved I-140 can support three-year H-1B extensions under AC21 section 104(c) while the per-country limit holds back your green card, and a PERM or I-140 filed 365 or more days earlier can support one-year extensions under section 106(a), where the new employer need not be the PERM filer (8 CFR 214.2(h)(13)(iii)(D)-(E)). A new employer generally files its own PERM and I-140; ask an attorney before relying on any of this.

A worked timeline: an eBay H-1B engineer whose last paid day is 2026-11-20

Worked timeline, as of 2026-11-01. Calendar days; your own last day and I-94 control.

December 11 matters because a new employer needs a certified LCA from DOL before filing Form I-129. Fee-funded USCIS activities continued through the 2026 DHS-only lapse (CRS report R49105). The current funding law also covers DOL, and practitioners report, based on past shutdowns, that DOL's foreign labor certification office (LCAs, PERM, prevailing wages) could stop in a lapse. That is precedent, not a prediction.

Common mistakes

• Reading the 9% as "eBay stopped sponsoring." The 8-K is a cost filing and is silent on immigration.
• Counting from the announcement. Your grace period starts the day after termination, usually your last paid day, not 2026-10-20.
• Believing the grace period is gone or now 30 days. As of 2026-11-01 the 60 days still applies; the elimination is only proposed.
• Assuming EO 14431 means automatic denial. It tells agencies to weigh layoffs, with no definitions and no guidance yet.
• Confusing PERM and H-1B actions. The 2026-10-08 PERM suspension did not name eBay, and it is not an H-1B ban for the eight employers it named.

Frequently asked questions

Is eBay still sponsoring H-1B after the layoffs?

As of November 1, 2026, nothing public says eBay has stopped. Its October 2026 Form 8-K announced a cut of about 9% of its global workforce and said nothing about sponsorship, and USCIS recorded 108 initial and 437 continuing H-1B approvals for EBAY INC in FY2024. Sponsorship is decided role by role, so confirm it with the recruiter early.

I was laid off at eBay on H-1B: how long do I have?

As of November 1, 2026, generally up to 60 consecutive days after your job ends, or until your I-94 expires if sooner, to have a new employer file, change status or leave. Ending that grace period is only proposed (RIN 1615-AD22, comments close 2026-11-10). Ask an immigration attorney to confirm your termination date, since severance terms can affect it.

Does eBay hire OPT students?

eBay's 108 initial H-1B approvals in FY2024 show it files new-employment petitions, where a first H-1B after F-1 OPT usually falls, but USCIS does not say how many came from OPT. On STEM OPT, confirm E-Verify enrollment and Form I-983. OPT unemployment limits are unchanged as of November 1, 2026, at 90 days, or 150 in aggregate with STEM OPT.

Does eBay sponsor green cards?

eBay's H-1B record does not answer that. Employer-sponsored green cards usually start with PERM, so check DOL's PERM disclosure files (the latest covers FY2026 Q3). eBay was not among the eight employers named in the PERM suspension announced on 2026-10-08. If eBay filed a PERM or I-140 for you, ask an immigration attorney what a layoff means for it.

Can eBay withdraw my H-1B after a layoff?

Yes. USCIS guidance says an employer's notice of termination automatically revokes the H-1B approval, and a new employer files its own petition anyway. An I-140 withdrawn 180 days or more after approval stays approved under 8 CFR 205.1 unless revoked on other grounds. If eBay ends your job before your authorized stay ends, it owes reasonable return transportation costs.

Sources

• eBay Inc., Form 8-K, earliest event 2026-10-20 (SEC EDGAR)
• USCIS, H-1B Employer Data Hub and Understanding the Data Hub
• USCIS, Options for nonimmigrant workers following termination (archived), H-1B specialty occupations, Form I-129
• Federal Register, grace-period NPRM (RIN 1615-AD22); EO 14431 (govinfo)
• SEVP, STEM OPT reporting requirements and unemployment counter
• DOL, OFLC performance data and H-1B debarment list
• 8 CFR 204.5, 205.1, 214.1 and 214.2 (Cornell LII)
• Congressional Research Service, Lapses in DHS Appropriations (R49105); ICE, SEVP broadcast 2101-01; Mayer Brown, DOL enforcement actions summary
• Federal Register, weighted selection final rule and $103,265 fee NPRM (RIN 1615-AD20); USCIS, H-1B registration

How we checked this: we read eBay's 8-K on SEC EDGAR and the USCIS, SEVP, ICE, DOL, Federal Register, CRS and Cornell LII pages above on 2026-11-01 and 2026-11-02, and took eBay's counts from the USCIS Data Hub extract our employer pages use.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Your own I-94, I-20 and notices govern your case; take F-1, OPT and STEM OPT questions to your DSO, and H-1B or green card questions to a licensed immigration attorney.

If you are restarting a search after an eBay layoff, or targeting e-commerce sponsors from OPT or STEM OPT, F1Jobs can help you run a focused search for employers that sponsor.