US Scraps 60-Day Grace Period for Laid-Off Foreign Workers

The US Department of Homeland Security is reviewing a proposal to eliminate the 60-day grace period for laid-off foreign workers on non-immigrant visas.

The current rule allows certain principal non-immigrants and their dependents to remain in the country if their employment ends before their permitted stay expires, giving them time to search for new jobs.

The provision was introduced in 2017, but the Department of Homeland Security has discretion to shorten or refuse the grace period, which they have rarely done.

If the change is finalized, affected workers may have to leave the US immediately instead of getting time to look for new employment.