UBS Accused of Favoring H-1B Workers While Cutting U.S.-Born Employees
UBS is facing renewed scrutiny from employees after a series of internal workforce reductions allegedly fell disproportionately on U.S.-born staff while leaving many visa-sponsored employees untouched, according to anonymous posts circulating on finance message boards and internal chat groups.
A growing perception that managers have become increasingly reluctant to dismiss H-1B visa holders due to concerns over replacing specialized talent and the costs associated with sponsorship.
“It’s become a running joke that if you’re on an H-1B, you’re untouchable,” one industry observer said. “If you’re a U.S. citizen, you’re competing in a different layoff pool.”
“H-1B employees often feel trapped because changing jobs means restarting an immigration process,” another employee said. “That makes them less likely to negotiate compensation or challenge management.”
The debate has fueled tension inside several investment banking and technology teams, where they say immigration status has become an increasingly common topic of discussion amid ongoing cost-cutting efforts.
Several workers also described what they characterized as an “unspoken expectation” that visa-sponsored employees remain visibly committed to the firm.
“‘If you don’t like it, you know what happens,’” one former employee recalled a manager joking, referring to the potential immigration consequences of losing sponsorship. We could not independently verify the account.
Employment attorneys note that both favoring and discriminating against employees because of citizenship or immigration status can raise legal issues depending on the circumstances, and that workforce decisions are generally expected to be based on legitimate business considerations.
The online discussion nevertheless underscores a broader debate across Wall Street, where firms continue to balance hiring specialized global talent with domestic recruitment amid heightened political scrutiny of skilled-worker visa programs.
A bear shits in the woods
I heard they tend to give H1Bs lower bonuses because they are stuck like chuck
True. Also ex-CS ones
ex-CS deserve less
Heard they got shitty projects as well
Nahh it’s UBS, everyone gets shitty projects
Congrats on UBS!
You people really don’t get it, do you?
The H-1Bs at UBS survive because they outwork you. They show up first, leave last, don’t complain, and they know exactly what’s at stake if they fail. Fear is an incredible motivator. If deportation is hanging over your head, you tend to focus.
The rest of you spend more time posting on WSO than proving you’re worth keeping. Stop blaming visas. Start wondering why someone with everything to lose is still outperforming you.
Why are we allowing corporations making billions in the US to abuse foreign labor and discriminate against Americans?
American analysts tend to be lazy, entitled, and take shortcuts wherever they can.
Quit bitching and work harder.
You obviously either have never worked with H1Bs, or are one yourself
Simply inaccurate. Americans tend to be better at working.
Companies like that they have a percentage of their workforce that is essentially stuck and can’t push back. That’s the value of hiring H1Bs.
Yes what a great strategy! Rely on a workforce motivated by fear of having to move back to India and live around other Indians.
This will surely push UBS to being top 6 in the usa league tables! Can't wait to see all the premier mandates they will win with this diverse international workforce.
Yeah, which is why they will cheat, lie, cut corners, take zero accountability, have no integrity and throw everyone else under the bus to keep their job.
Ding ding ding
Also this is why meta and amazon are such toxic shitholes now
Not sure why the MS here. The post is straight facts. I've been a vocal critic of the H-1B program, and I think it needs to be heavily reformed. But what the MD here is saying is undeniable: these H-1Bs are working for a green card. A future in the US as opposed to in the third world. You'd be clueless to think that doesn't affect output.
We get it, you voted for Mamdani
Trust me. They want to leave as well
And they do. Harder for them to leave but they still find their way out.
Generally only lower middle bucket / bottom bucket internationals stay at UBS (some exceptions)
Dude is all you do shit post about UBS? Are you upset you got RIF'd?
I think it’s everyone who has ever had to work there and is disappointed by the bad pay and lack of deals
Yeah but it's beating a dead horse at some point. This platform used to discuss cool deals and benchmark comp etc. Now every time you open the app it's just hate posting about UBS
For 2022 intern class (July 2023 start date), UBS made the decision to defer half of the incoming class and not honor the return offers. The decisions were primarily made by HR and were based on citizenship status and visa, with non Americans favored (aka zero internationals were deferred).
The deferred class finally started in February 2024 (7 months later). The group that started in July 2023 (including all OPTs/H1Bs from that intern class) was generally promoted to associate by July 2025, while the deferred class (only comprised of Americans) was told they had to work 2.5 years instead of 2 for the associate promotion.
So the deferred Americans missed out on 7 months of analyst comp (while internationals didn’t) and now is a full year behind in salary (behind H1Bs) for the rest of their career.
tldr: UBS recently didn’t honor their signed return offers for half the analyst class and in doing so, in some cases allegedly favored internationals over Americans for employment and promotions
Written like a news article but the source is actually OP’s ass
Which group were you laid off from?
Anyone who is tired of seeing this loser posting millions of threads about UBS? You just got fired, be a man and own up your mistakes instead of being a screeching teenager girl.
You sound personally offended by a bank and thats a weird hill to die on
UBS does rlly suck. Quitting after bonus. Thank god.
Good riddance!
Always amazes me how people who generally won’t shed a single tear over companies engaging in horrific behavior to workers or society at large suddenly find their red flags and pitch forks as soon as muh immigrants/foreign labor (especially scary ones from not Europe) get brought up….
bc the other stuff personally doesn't affect them genius.
It seems that now a new level of complexity has also appeared in the corporate world: it is not enough to simply work well, you also need to correctly complete the quest with documents. It remains to be hoped that the next bonus for experience will be not only a promotion, but also an extra life. 😄
What?
Some are good, the rest are living in the office to pretend
can't imagine being a H1B tied to a bank, it's like you're a slave dependant on your master's goodwill
the only leverage in IB is your ability to walk away
Another day another UBS thread.....
Like clockwork lol
As an H1B MBA Associate at UBS, everything that is said here is true. And believe me I want to quit but no banks are sponsoring anymore so if I leave I’m out of banking for sure and likely out of the country.
TLDR- I’m basically a well behaved slave, but what alternative do I have?
You can go back to India.
That incroyable 😲
That amazing 😲
I disagree. But in conclusion I do think h1b hiring and practices needs to be looked at because I believe there are labor law violations
Facts:
H1Bs take less days off
UBS breaks the law frequently with scandal after scandal since the well documented Nazi sympathizing days
basically slaves
Has UBS Tech or M&T seen any traction this year? Worth interviewing?
Some modest progress in Tech, mostly some basic ECM wins.
M&T at this point has failed in its rebuild. Just in recent weeks the only net positive MD that actually generates fees left, and most of the strong / actual normal human mid level (ED/Ds) people have left or are on their way out.
Would take Tech over M&T for sure. Wouldnt have said the same 2 years ago.
Which MD left?
Wouldn’t touch M&T, M&A, FIG with a 10 foot pole
Tech ecm has done well, but no idea how strong the pipeline is, imo H1 2026 is high water mark for ECM but who can predict the future
UBS getting grilled for banking nazis in front of the senate. Scandal upon failure upon scandal.
Interesting topic, but these situations are usually more complicated than they appear from anonymous posts. Layoff decisions often involve a mix of performance, role requirements, business needs, and legal considerations. It would be useful to see more verified information before drawing conclusions.
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