US proposes ending the 60-day grace period for H-1B workers after job loss.

US proposes ending the 60-day grace period for H-1B workers after job loss.
The United States has proposed eliminating the 60-day grace period for certain qualified foreign workers following job loss. The move could have a significant impact on Indian H-1B workers and their families.
Foreign professionals with US work visas may face a considerably shorter exit window if a new Trump administration proposal becomes law.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intends to eliminate the 60-day grace period now granted to some qualified foreign workers after their employment expires. The idea would require impacted visa holders to depart the United States unless they can acquire another legal basis to stay.
What are the changes for H-1B visa holders?
Under the existing system, qualifying H-1B workers may remain in the United States for up to 60 days after quitting their employment. That period can be used to find a new sponsoring employer, modify your immigration status, or prepare to leave.
The proposed rule would eliminate the cushion. Job loss might thus become an urgent immigration issue, rather than a two-month job-search period.

The proposal addresses various temporary work visa types, including:
H-1B
H-1B1
L-1
O-1
E-1 and E-2
E-3
TN
Dependents may also be affected by the change.

Why Indians Can Feel the Impact
The shift is especially significant for Indian professionals because they account for a sizable proportion of H-1B workers in the United States, particularly in technology, consulting, and IT services.
For someone laid off while on H-1B status, the difference between 60 days and almost no grace period is significant. Finding a new US employer, completing sponsorship paperwork, and maintaining lawful status all take time.
This fits with a larger trend: Washington is increasingly recognizing employment-based immigration status as something that can change fast if the underlying job vanishes.
The rule is not final yet.
This is a proposal, not a new rule that has already been implemented. It must first go through the federal regulation procedure, which includes a 60-day public comment period, before the administration can finalize it.
Until then, existing rules will continue to apply. H-1B and other impacted workers should not believe they must depart the United States immediately following a job loss based only on this suggestion.
Travel Impact on Indian Workers
For Indian passport holders working in the United States, the practical risk is less about regular travel and more about losing immigration status unexpectedly.
If the idea is implemented, a worker facing redundancy may have much less time to find a new sponsor or make departure preparations. This could also cause issues for wives and children whose US citizenship is dependent on the principal worker.

Travunited Take:
We see this as a bad development for Indian professionals: the planned adjustment eliminates critical breathing room and makes US job-based immigration much less forgiving.