Laid off on an H-1B? A 60-day job search plan

Losing a job on an H-1B starts a clock. The good news is that the rules give you real options, and employers that sponsor regularly hire people in exactly this situation. Here's how the grace period works and a plan to use it well.

This is general information, not legal advice. Talk to an immigration attorney as early as you can: the details of your case matter.

How the grace period works

After your employment ends, you generally get a grace period of up to 60 consecutive days, or until your authorized stay (your I-94) ends if that comes first. During it, you can stay in the US while you:

• find a new employer that files an H-1B petition for you. Because you've already been counted against the H-1B cap, a cap-subject employer doesn't need to enter you in the lottery, and you can usually start working once the new petition is filed.
• change to another status, such as a dependent visa through a spouse, student status, or visitor status while you keep looking;
• or leave the US and continue the search from abroad.

Week 1: get organized

• Confirm your last day of employment in writing: the clock starts from it.
• Gather your I-797 approval notices, I-94, recent pay stubs and your passport details. New employers' lawyers will ask.
• Book a consultation with an immigration attorney to map your options and your exact deadline.
• List 30 to 60 target employers that sponsor regularly, starting with companies in your field that have open roles (see jobs with visa sponsorship and the companies hiring now).

Weeks 2 to 4: apply fast and early

• Set up alerts for your role and cities so you see new postings the day they go live (instant alerts help most here: early applicants get reviewed first).
• Apply on the employer's own job board and say in your application or first call: "H-1B transfer, no lottery needed".
• Ask former colleagues for referrals: many people from your old team are likely searching too and know who's hiring.
• Tailor each resume to the posting; the resume scanner shows the keywords you're missing.

Weeks 5 to 7: close

• Prioritize processes that can finish in time. Tell recruiters your deadline; good ones will move faster.
• Once you have an offer, ask the employer to file the petition promptly; premium processing speeds up the decision.
• Keep interviewing until the petition is filed.

Week 8: the backup plan

If no petition is filed by the last week, use the option your attorney prepared: a change of status filed before the grace period ends, or a planned departure. Leaving on time protects your ability to come back on a new petition later.