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The US is reviewing a plan to end the 60-day grace period for laid-off visa workers. The move could force many foreign professionals, especially Indians on H-1B visas, to leave quickly.
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Washington,UPDATED: Aug 8, 2026 19:54 IST
The US is reviewing a proposal that could end the 60-day grace period given to certain foreign workers on non-immigrant visas after they lose their jobs. If the change is finalised, affected workers may have to leave the country immediately instead of getting time to look for new employment.
The proposal from the Department of Homeland Security is currently being reviewed by the federal Office of Management and Budget, according to its website. More details of the proposal are not immediately known.
At present, the 60-day grace period allows certain principal non-immigrants and their dependants to remain in the US if the principal worker's employment ends before their permitted stay expires. The provision was introduced in 2017 to give foreign workers and their families time to search for new jobs after a job loss.
Immigration consultants said the Department of Homeland Security has the discretion to shorten or refuse the grace period, but has rarely done so. The rule applies to E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B, H-1B1, L-1, O-1 and TN categories of non-immigrant visa holders and their dependants.
The grace period also helps US employers manage job changes for existing or newly recruited non-immigrant workers. If it is removed, foreign nationals whose employment ends early, along with their dependants, would generally have to depart the US immediately. They would also be unable to change their status or employer within the country unless US Citizenship and Immigration Services uses its discretion to excuse the lapse in status.
The development is significant for Indian nationals, who are among the largest beneficiaries of H-1B employment visas and accounted for 71 per cent of all successful applicants in the 2024 fiscal year. The Indian-American population in the US is estimated at 5.2 million, and the proposed change could affect many workers who now rely on the 60-day window after a job loss.
With PTI Inputs
- Ends
Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Aug 8, 2026 19:54 IST
