Now Reading: US plan to scrap H-1B grace period clears White House review
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US plan to scrap H-1B grace period clears White House review
The White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs has approved a Department of Homeland Security proposal to end the 60-day grace period for H-1B and certain other non-immigrant visa holders who…
The White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs has approved a Department of Homeland Security proposal to end the 60-day grace period for H-1B and certain other non-immigrant visa holders who lose their jobs, according to reports. The proposal, which has not yet been made public, would remove the window that currently allows affected workers and their dependants to stay in the US to find a new employer or change immigration status. The rule would apply to H-1B, H-1B1, L-1, O-1, E-1, E-2, E-3 and TN visa holders.
Indian nationals constitute about 71% of successful H-1B applicants in the 2024 fiscal year, and an estimated 5.2 million Indian-Americans live in the US. Critics, including former White House adviser Ajay Jain Bhutoria, called the move inhumane. Times of India quoted Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Wadhwa who said it pushes workers into indentured servitude and gives unscrupulous employers more leverage. The proposal must still be published in the Federal Register and go through a public comment period before taking effect.
Indian Opinion Analysis
All three outlets report the regulatory clearance as a fact, but differ in framing. Times Now and Greatandhra lead with the potential harm to Indian workers, stressing the number affected and Bhutoria's criticism. Times of India adds a sharper critique, quoting Wadhwa's indentured-servitude language and an attorney's view that the rule would face legal hurdles. None of the sources gives the administration's rationale beyond tightening the programme. The balanced take: the rule is not final, but its clearance moves it a step closer to a formal comment period where opposition and legal challenges will be tested.
Greatandhra also notes a separate proposed fee of over $100,000 for certain new H-1B hires, a detail the other sources omit. If the rule advances, the Federal Register publication will set the exact comment window and trigger the next round of political and legal debate.
Coverage: 3 sources, 1 government-critical, 2 neutral
Sources (3): timesnownews.com (neutral report), timesofindia.indiatimes.com (government critical), greatandhra.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
