Leaving the States after 60-day grace period

USA H1B Visa
1

Hi,

I got laid off a month ago. I want to use the 60-day period until the last day to find a job; but then it means I need to arrange my travel back to my country after, which might take another 2-3 weeks. I wasn’t able to find any resources explaining what happens or how it affects your entry in the future if you would like to come back on a different visa (e.g. F-1), if you leave the country in 80 days (example) starting from the first day of unemployment. I understand that my status will be invalid after 60 days, but there should be some kind of flexibility for leaving the country. It is almost impossible to look for jobs until the final day while planning your trip on day 60th.

Hope to get a helpful feedback soon.

Thanks!

2

Some of this is really grey area. You should try to avoid extending it. But, if something is not in your control like flights with COVID or other situations, you can give explanation. There is no hard penalty for you, if it is less than 180 days…but, again you cannot just use that 180 days to be staying in the country without legal status.

If you find a job on Day 60, talk to attorney and file a Nunc Pro Tunc in Premium processing and see, if you get approval. You can plan accordingly. Always talk to your attorney before you proceed with this plan.