H-1B grace period may end: Can Indian workers change employer or visa status after job loss?
The US may scrap the 60-day window that lets foreign workers on certain visas stay and job-hunt after losing employment.. (File Photo)H-1B workers in the US could lose a crucial safety net after a job loss if a proposed Department of Homeland Security rule eliminates the current 60-day grace period.
The change could be particularly significant for Indians, who accounted for 71% of approved H-1B petitions in FY2024, according to USCIS data.
Experts said the move could cause potential harm to thousands of skilled workers, most of them from India, news agency PTI reported.
What is the 60-day grace period, and who does it affect?
The grace period currently gives Joe Biden and, at that time, proposed extending the grace period from 60 days to 180 days. He had argued that hiring processes, including technical interviews and visa transfer paperwork, often take several months, meaning 60 days is not enough time.
He has now repeated that call, asking the Department of Homeland Security to withdraw the current proposal and instead adopt a 180-day grace period.
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Bhutoria said hundreds of thousands of South Asian workers in technology, healthcare and engineering hold H-1B status in the US. He said ending the grace period would lead to serious stress for families, financial trouble, and disruption to the schooling of children raised in the country.
(With inputs from PTI)
