Many immigration journeys begin with a job offer or an employment transfer. Professionals can be eligible to work in the United States if they have in-demand skills and can pass a background check. They cooperate with the businesses offering them employment to pursue a visa.
There are numerous different types of employment visas that allow people to legally live in the United States while working here. An L-1A visa allows an executive or manager working at an international company to transfer from a foreign office to a facility in the United States. An H-1B visa may allow a professional with an advanced degree or years of experience to accept a competitive position in the United States.
Employment visas are often eligible for renewal at least once. Those who remain in the country for years for employment may eventually qualify for green cards. Unfortunately, some professionals might lose their jobs before they become eligible for green cards.
Can immigrants with work visas face immediate removal after they lose their jobs?
Immigrants have time to look for new jobs
Generally speaking, current visa holders who suddenly lose their jobs have protection from immediate loss of their immigration status. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offers a grace period to professionals with numerous different visas.
That grace period gives a professional who loses their job up to 60 days to find a new position. Typically, professionals who are eligible for competitive employment visas have skills that many other employers might find valuable as well. The USCIS recognizes that professionals with experience or degrees can be beneficial for the domestic economy.
So long as an immigrant can locate a new position with a different company within 60 days of losing the job that resulted in a visa, it is usually possible to pursue an updated visa with the new employer and remain in the country. Sometimes, immigrants who lose their jobs may be eligible for other forms of immigration protection as well.
Sitting down to discuss the implications of a job loss with a skilled legal team as soon as possible can help immigrants avoid potentially devastating setbacks. Those with employment visas generally need to maintain their positions or be ready to pursue new opportunities rapidly if they want to remain in the country after an unexpected termination.