People come to the United States of America for new opportunities. Often, those opportunities relate to their employment. Securing a job in the United States is a common reason for foreign nationals to enter the country.
You may have obtained a work visa because your company expanded to the United States or you have exceptional skills and education. A company operating in the United States needed your skills, and you were fortunate enough to secure a visa.
Now that you are a documented worker in the United States, your visa and right to stay in the country depend on your employment. While you may do your job well, the company that you work for could file for bankruptcy or eliminate the department that hired you. When you lose your job as a foreign national working in the United States, will you face removal from the country?
There is a grace period for people with work visas
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) tries to work with immigrants while upholding domestic laws. They will not summarily remove you from the country because of your employer’s decision.
Although your presence in the country is dependent on your employment, losing your job will not immediately lead to your removal. Workers with certain visas will have a grace period during which they can look for a new job. If you have an H-1B visa, you have 60 days from the day that you lose your job to find a new one.
Two months may not be much time to find a job, but it is better than nothing. An aggressive job search can help you find a new job and get the necessary paperwork in place to apply for a new employment visa for your new position. Your family members of visas will also require updates and changes if your employment situation changes.
The more skilled and educated you are, the harder it can be to find a new job quickly. Sometimes, when you aren’t confident you will find an appropriate job in time, there could be other programs and protections that apply to you. Learning about the rules that apply to immigrant workers in the United States can help you make the most of the rules intended to protect you.