A government agency confirmed on Wednesday that someone entering the country on a B-1 or B-2 business or tourist visa is eligible to apply for new positions and even attend interviews, but advised prospective employers to confirm the candidates’ visa status before appointing them to the position.
In-depth details about the US permits tourists to apply for jobs and attend interviews
“The question of whether B-1 or B-2 statuses allow for job searching has been raised frequently. Yes, is the response. Job searching and job interviews are acceptable B-1 or B-2 activities, respectively “Many tweets from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) contained statements.
The USCIS further stated that a petition and request for a change of status from B-1 or B-2 to an employment-authorized status must be approved and the new status must take effect before beginning any new work.
Alternatively, the person must leave the United States and be admitted in an employment-authorized classification before beginning the new employment, according to the USCIS, if the change of status request is rejected or the petition for new employment requests consular or port of entry notification.
In a separate note, the USCIS noted that nonimmigrant workers who lose their jobs might not be aware of their options and might, in some cases, believe they have no choice but to leave the country within 60 days.
According to the USCIS, the last day on which a salary or pay is paid is typically used to calculate the commencement day of the maximum 60-day grace period.
If eligible, a nonimmigrant worker who has had their employment terminated, whether willingly or involuntarily, may take one of various options to continue to be in the country for an authorised period of time.
They include submitting an application for a change in nonimmigrant status, an application for a change in status, an application for an employment authorization document with “compelling circumstances,” or being the recipient of a nonfrivolous petition to change employers.
The nonimmigrant’s length of authorised stay in the United States may extend 60 days if one of these events takes place during the up to 60-day grace period, according to the USCIS, even if they lose their prior nonimmigrant status.
It warned that if the worker does nothing during the grace period, they and any dependents may have to leave the country in 60 days or when their authorised validity term expires, whichever comes first.
