The H-1B programme is widely used by highly skilled foreign workers, including large numbers of Indian professionals. The White House has completed its review of a proposal to end the 60-day grace period that allows certain foreign workers to remain in the US after losing their jobs, according to reports. The proposal, put forward by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), was sent earlier this month to the Office of Management and Budget for review. It has not yet been finalised, and details of the proposed changes have not been made public. If approved, the measure would remove the 60-day grace period currently available to certain non-immigrant workers and their dependants when employment ends before their authorised stay expires. The rule applies to holders of several visa categories, including H-1B, H-1B1, L-1, O-1, E-1, E-2, E-3 and TN visas. The H-1B programme is widely used by highly skilled foreign workers, including large numbers of Indian professionals. If the proposal moves forward, it would be published in the Federal Register and opened to public comment. The comment period would typically last between 30 and 60 days. The precise provisions of the proposal are not expected to be known until it is formally published. The 60-day grace period was introduced in 2017, allowing foreign workers and their dependants to remain in the US temporarily while looking for new employment after a job loss. Immigration consultants have said the DHS has the authority to reduce or deny the grace period, although such action has been uncommon. The provision also allows US employers more time to manage employment transitions involving non-immigrant workers. Indian nationals make up a large proportion of H-1B recipients. They accounted for about 71% of successful H-1B applicants in the 2024 fiscal year, according to the figures cited in the report. The estimated Indian-American population in the US is about 5.2 million. Ajay Jain Bhutoria, a former White House adviser, criticised the proposal and called instead for the grace period to be extended to 180 days. "Eliminating the 60-day grace period is both inhumane and unworkable. When a high-skilled worker faces a sudden termination, 60 days is already dangerously short. Stripping away this protection entirely leaves thousands of law-abiding individuals with zero time to wrap up their lives," Bhutoria said. He said removing the protection could force families to leave the US suddenly despite having committed years of work and paid taxes there. "People will not even have the time required to manage their leases, transition their children out of schools, or handle personal affairs," he said. The proposed change would not take effect immediately. It would first have to go through the formal regulatory process, including publication and a public comment period. Rounak is a journalist with over 7 years of experience covering geopolitical and international affairs. He has a keen interest in research and explain... View More