H-1B visa holders won't get 60-day grace period after job loss as Trump administration revises rule | World News - Hindustan Times

**H‑1B Workers Face Immediate Departure Deadline After Job Loss, Trump Administration Proposes Rule Change**

Washington – The Department of Homeland Security announced on Monday that it intends to rescind the 60‑day “grace period” that currently allows H‑1B visa holders to remain in the United States after termination of employment. Under the proposed revision, which will be published in the Federal Register later this week, a foreign worker whose H‑1B petition is revoked would have to leave the country or have a new petition filed on his or her behalf **immediately** – effectively ending the window that has, since 2017, given skilled professionals time to secure a new sponsor or change status.

The grace period was introduced to ease the transition for highly‑skilled foreign nationals, particularly those in the technology sector, who make up the bulk of the H‑1B program. Government data estimate that roughly 150,000 H‑1B workers are employed in the United States at any given time, with Indian nationals accounting for more than 70 percent of that pool. Industry groups such as the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) warn that the abrupt removal of the grace period could force companies to lose talent overnight, increase turnover costs, and push employees into unlawful status while they scramble to arrange a new petition. Critics also argue that the rule change runs counter to the broader immigration reforms championed by the current administration, which has sought to retain the United States’ competitive edge in high‑tech talent.

Indian tech community leaders, immigration‑rights advocates, and several congressional members have already signaled opposition to the proposal. In statements released to the press, the Indian American Business & Professionals Association (IABPA) called the move “unfair and destabilizing,” urging the administration to keep the grace period intact. The Department of Homeland Security has opened a 60‑day public comment period, closing on **July 31**, after which the agency will review feedback before issuing a final rule. Legal scholars predict that the change could be challenged in court on grounds that it violates due‑process protections and undermines the statutory purpose of the H‑1B program.

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