COVID- 19: H1B Visa Holders In The US Petition For 180 Day Stay Back
The Coronavirus pandemic has severely hit businesses and industries all around the globe. This has led to huge layoffs in the US especially in the IT industry. The H1B visa for international tech professionals happens to be the most sought –after visa to the US among Indians.
Fearing even more layoffs in the comings weeks and months, H1B visa holders in the US have requested the Trump administration to extend their stay in the US to 180 days from the permissible 60-day limit.
Grace Period
H1B visa holders and Green card applicants who were served notices for additional documents will have an extra 60 days to make these submissions. The grace period has allowed immigrants to breathe a little more freely since their status would otherwise since the USCIS has stopped all in-person interviews and its offices are closed to the public till June 3rd.
This grace period is applicable to those petitions that were served notices between March 1st and July 1st for
Requests for Evidence
Continuations to Request Evidence (N- 14)
Notices of Intent to Deny
Noticed of Intent to Revoke
Notices of Intent to Rescind
Notices of Intent to terminate regional investment centers
Notice of Appeal or Motion
What Is H1B Visa?
This is a non-immigrant visa to the USA
For international workers seeking employment in specialty occupations
These occupations require expertise- both technical and theoretical
Companies in the US rely on this visa to hire several thousands of international employees
Mostly from countries like China and India
The H1B visa holder and their family have to leave this country within 60 days of being laid off
This is based on the federal rules applicable to this visa
Foreign-BornBecoming US Citizens And Getting Green Card
Foreign-Born Becoming US Citizens (% of total)
Country
2017
2018
2019
Mexico
16.8
17.3
14.6
India
7.2
6.9
7.5
China
5.3
5.2
4.7
Foreign-Born Getting Green Card (% of total)
Mexico
15.1
14.8
15.1
India
5.4
5.5
6.0
China
6.3
5.9
5.2
H1B Visa – Top 3 Countries Of Origin
Country
New Visa
Extension
India
67,815
208,608
China
15,165
19,312
Canada
2,226
1,532
The Current Job Market In The US
The US economy is expected to further deteriorate due to the present financial downturn
Financial experts expect huge layoffs in the coming months
This will be seen in several sectors in the US economy
Millions of people (including H1B employees) have already lost their jobs
The number is expected to go much higher once the country hits the peak of Coronavirus epidemic
America has witnessed the highest number of claims filed for unemployment during the week that ended on the 21st of March
Around 3.3 million people have filed for the claim
695,000 was the highest number that was ever recorded in the US (October 1982)
Around 50 to 70 million Americans are expected to be unemployed by the end of April
Request Put Forward By American Tech Workers To Trump Administration
US Tech workers, a non-profit organization in the US have requested the Trump administration not to approve any more employment visas to the international workers
This includes halting the H1B Visa that is expected to bring around 85,000 foreign workers
They’ve also requested to suspend the H-2B visas of 35,000 workers that have been already approved
The organization calls themselves as the voices of American workers affected by the H1B visas
They state that the decision is necessary to support the unemployed Americans
The Current Situation Of H1B Visa Holders In The US
According to the initial reports, a huge number of H1B workers are being laid off
Some organizations have notified their H1B employees that their names are on the top of the list of the workers to be laid off
The H1B employees are not eligible for unemployment benefits
These workers are not entitled to Social Security Benefits as well (Though the amount is being deducted each month from their salary)
Petition Submitted By H1B Visa Holders In The US
A petition campaign has been started by the H1B visa holders in the US
This is on the website of the White House
They’ve requested the Trump administration to extend their grace period from 60 Days to 180 days
This is to protect the H1B employees who’ve been laid off by their employers in the US
The current regulations require the H1B employees to find a new job within the 60-Day grace period
The petition states that the present economic situation would make it difficult to find a job within that time limit
Besides, they’ve pointed out that play a significant role in supporting the IT industry in the US
A high amount is paid by H1B visa holders as tax contributions
So far the petition has attracted more than 20,000 signatures
For the White House to respond a minimum of 100,000 signatures are required
Most of the employees under this visa are Indians. They have children who are American citizens. Countries including India have introduced entry ban for foreigners due to the Coronavirus pandemic. This makes it impossible for these visa holders to travel back to their native with their families