Now Reading: US proposes to scrap 60-day H-1B grace period after job loss
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US proposes to scrap 60-day H-1B grace period after job loss
The US Department of Homeland Security is reviewing a proposal to eliminate the 60-day grace period for H-1B workers and other non-immigrant visa holders after their employment ends. The proposal, currently under…
The Story in Brief
The US Department of Homeland Security is reviewing a proposal to eliminate the 60-day grace period for H-1B workers and other non-immigrant visa holders after their employment ends. The proposal, currently under review at the Office of Management and Budget, has not yet been published or opened for public comment.
If implemented, the change would hit Indian professionals especially hard. Indian nationals accounted for 71 per cent of all successful H-1B applicants in fiscal 2024, according to PTI. Former White House advisor Ajay Jain Bhutoria called the proposal 'inhumane and unworkable', warning of severe human displacement and loss of skilled talent. American attorney Adrian Pandev said the move would also disrupt US employers, as workers would be incentivised to hide job changes until new petitions are approved.
The Indian Opinion
Headlines scream 'anti-Indian', but similar proposals have surfaced before without becoming law. The real story is not panic, it is process. This rule is still at OMB review, followed by a public-comment window. Indian professionals and advocacy groups now have a clear test: how many voices will mobilise during that comment period? The number of submissions will reveal whether Washington hears the community’s weight or merely its anxiety.
Sources (2): businesstoday.in, hr.economictimes.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
