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Visitors and business travellers can now attend interviews in the US with a valid visa

The US has announced that visitors with B-1 or B-2 visas who are on business or holiday may apply for new positions and even attend interviews. However, they must change their visa status before starting a new job. The measure was done in response to a recent wave of layoffs that resulted in the unemployment of thousands of highly trained foreign-born workers in the US, including Indians. Apply for US B-1 visa from trusted US B visa consultancies in Hyderabad  to quicken the process. 

The most prevalent types of visas issued in the United States for various purposes are B-1 and B-2, commonly called “B visas.” In contrast to the B-2 visa, which is frequently provided for pleasure travel, the B-1 visa is typically issued for brief business travels. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) indicated on Wednesday that non-immigrant workers who are laid off may not be knowing about these options. 

Recent layoffs at firms like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon led to the unemployment of thousands of highly skilled foreign-born workers in the US which is now a new headache for the US government. Such laid off people should find new employment within the 60-day window permitted by their work visas after having being terminated from their jobs to remain in the nation.

The maximum 60-day grace period begins from the day following employment termination or typically is determined based on the last day a salary or wage is paid. 

If eligible, a non-immigrant worker who has had their employment terminated, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, may take one of several actions to continue to be in the country for an authorized period.

These include submitting an application for a change in non-immigrant status, an application for a change in status, an application for an employment authorization document with “compelling circumstances,” or receiving a non-frivolous petition to switch employers.

The non-immigrants’ authorized stay in the United States may exceed 60 days if one of these events takes place within the 60-day grace period, even if they revert to their former non-immigrant status. 

According to the USCIS statement, if the worker does not take any action during the grace period, they and any dependents may be required to leave the United States within 60 days or when their authorized validity period expires, whichever comes first.

“Is it possible to look for a job while on a B-1 or B-2 visa? The answer is “Yes”. Activities such as job searching and job interviews under the B-1 or B-2 categories are permitted. You can apply for US work visa or visit visa from US work visa agencies in Hyderabad .

The new status must be in force prior to starting any new job in order for a request to shift from B-1 or B-2 status to an employment-authorized status to be approved and the new status to take effect. As an alternative, the person must leave the US and be admitted in a classification that permits employment before starting the new job if the petition for new work or the request for a change of status calls for consular or port of entry notification, respectively.

In response to widespread layoffs in the US tech sector that have rendered a sizable number of Indian professionals unemployed, two Indian-American organizations last month launched an online petition urging US President Joe Biden to increase the H-1B visa holders’ grace period from two months to a year.

US businesses can hire foreign nationals for specialized positions that call for theoretical or technical expertise using the H-1B visa, a non-immigrant visa. Leaving aside this harsh situation, US work permit visa consultants in Hyderabad said the things will fall in line soon.


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