📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Tony Webster
Politics
Trump Administration Approves Move to Eliminate 60‑Day Grace Period for H‑1B Visa Holders
✍️ Free Press Journal
🗓 30 Aug 2026, 07:18 AM
👁 4
The U.S. administration has cleared a proposal that would end the 60‑day grace period for H‑1B visa holders, creating uncertainty for thousands of foreign workers.
The Trump administration has formally approved a proposal to eliminate the 60‑day grace period that currently allows H‑1B visa holders to remain in the United States after losing their employment.
Under the existing rule, H‑1B workers who lose their job are granted a 60‑day window to find new employment, change visa status, or depart the country. The new proposal would remove this buffer, requiring workers to secure a new sponsor or leave the U.S. immediately after a job loss.
The change is expected to affect thousands of skilled foreign professionals who rely on the grace period to transition between employers. Critics argue that the move could disrupt the U.S. tech and research sectors, which heavily depend on H‑1B talent.
The administration has indicated that the policy will take effect in the coming fiscal year, pending final regulatory review. Employers and immigration attorneys are advised to prepare for the shift and advise their H‑1B employees accordingly.
Under the existing rule, H‑1B workers who lose their job are granted a 60‑day window to find new employment, change visa status, or depart the country. The new proposal would remove this buffer, requiring workers to secure a new sponsor or leave the U.S. immediately after a job loss.
The change is expected to affect thousands of skilled foreign professionals who rely on the grace period to transition between employers. Critics argue that the move could disrupt the U.S. tech and research sectors, which heavily depend on H‑1B talent.
The administration has indicated that the policy will take effect in the coming fiscal year, pending final regulatory review. Employers and immigration attorneys are advised to prepare for the shift and advise their H‑1B employees accordingly.