U.S. May Scrap 60-Day Grace Period for Foreign Workers After Job Loss
Indian and other immigrant workers could face tighter timelines to leave the country after losing employment. The Donald Trump administration is considering ending the 60-day grace period currently available to certain foreign workers who lose their jobs in the United States. If the proposal is implemented, immigrant employees could face significantly greater pressure to leave the country after their employment ends. The 60-day grace period was introduced in 2017 to provide temporary relief to foreign workers who lose their jobs. Under the current rules, eligible workers can generally remain in the U.S. for up to 60 consecutive days after their employment is terminated, or until their visa validity expires, whichever comes first.
By Niswarth Editor 14 August 2026 1 min read 0 views
Indian and other immigrant workers could face tighter timelines to leave the country after losing employment. The Donald Trump administration is considering ending the 60-day grace period currently available to certain foreign workers who lose their jobs in the United States. If the proposal is implemented, immigrant employees could face significantly greater pressure to leave the country after their employment ends. The 60-day grace period was introduced in 2017 to provide temporary relief to foreign workers who lose their jobs. Under the current rules, eligible workers can generally remain in the U.S. for up to 60 consecutive days after their employment is terminated, or until their visa validity expires, whichever comes first. The provision applies to holders of several non-immigrant visa categories, including E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B, H-1B1, L-1, O-1 and TN visas. The proposed removal of the grace period could have a serious impact on Indian employees working in the U.S., particularly those who may need additional time to secure new employment or make arrangements to leave the country. However, the U.S. government has not yet made a final decision on the proposal. The exact amount of time foreign workers would be given to leave the country after losing their jobs remains undecided.
