Layoffs and changing to B-2 status

A post by immigration lawyer Amber Davis on layoffs and changing to B-2 status:

There were a lot of layoffs these last few weeks (Apple, Tesla, Nike, to name a few).

Some of the big companies that are doing these layoffs (like Google) have also announced that they’ll be laying off more staff later on in the year, and to expect more layoffs.

Amazon apparently said they were pausing until the end of 2024, so layoffs could continue through September or even later.

For those who are on H-1B who are laid off, 60 days is simply not enough time to find a new job.

USCIS seems to get that and seems to be processing B-2 changes of status extremely quickly (which gives those who are looking for a job an extra 6 months).

A recent B-2 I filed was approved in 3 weeks.

For those of you who have been affected by layoffs, definitely consider a B-2 change of status as early as possible, ideally right around the 45 day mark of your H-1B grace period.

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This post is by Amber G. Davis. She started her career working at a boutique immigration firm before moving on to two different large immigration firms (one of which is one of the largest immigration firms in the world). She’s advised numerous high-tech companies of all shapes and sizes, from startups to top ten Fortune 500 companies, and from nonprofits to companies in the IPO process. She now runs Waypoint Immigration USA, representing only individual employees for EB-1A, EB-2 NIW, O-1, etc. and is well-known on LinkedIn with 8k+ followers.

Want to get in touch with Amber? You can reach her at amber.davis@waypointimmigration.org or through a LinkedIn connection note (Amber’s LinkedIn profile).