Holders of B1 visa and B2 also known as business and tourist visas will now be permitted to apply for new jobs and attend job interviews while traveling to the US with such a visa.
According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), some nonimmigrant workers when they are laid off, aren’t aware of their options and assume they have to leave the country within 60 days, VisaGuide.World reports.
“Many people have asked if they can look for a new job while in B-1 or B-2 status. The answer is, yes. Searching for employment and interviewing for a position are permissible B-1 or B-2 activities,” a press release from USCIS pointed out in this regard.
When nonimmigrant workers’ employment comes to an end, the workers are obliged to either apply for a change of status, apply for an adjustment of status, file an application for “compelling circumstances” employment authorisation or seek to change employer.
USCIS points out that by applying for one of these changes within the 60-day period, the applicant can have their stay permit extended by another 60 days.
“Alternatively, if the change of status request is denied or the petition for new employment requested consular or port of entry notification, the individual must depart the U.S. and be admitted in an employment-authorized classification before beginning the new employment,” the USCIS said.
On the other hand, if the worker takes no action within the 60-day period, they have to leave the US within 60 days.
Congress has established provisions that allow the flow of visas not required in certain employment-based categories to also be available for other applicants for employment-based categories.
According to Statista, the total employment rate in 2023 is projected to reach 158.34 and unemployment rates stood at 3.67. These rates are below 2021 rates, with 152.58 and 5.38, for employment and unemployment rates, respectively. While the highest employment rates were recorded in 2010 (139.08), the unemployment rates were higher (9.61).
In general, employment rates in the US are expected to increase in the upcoming years, showing a positive trend, while, consequently, unemployment rates will decrease – forecasted to reach 4.7 by 2027.
There are several employment visas in the US, offering migrant workers different opportunities, depending on the purpose and the kind of work they can do. For example, agricultural workers can be eligible for temporary or seasonal work with an H-2A visa, while an H-3 visa enables holders to receive training related to the education of children with physical, mental or emotional disabilities that isn’t available in their home country. The I visa, on the other hand, permits journalists and those that work in the information sector to perform their duties while in the US.
Data by Statista further shows that in February 2023, the number of full-time employees in the state reached 132.7 million, up from 131.8 million recorded in January. Compared to the same month in 2022, the number of full-time employees increased by 1.5 percentage points – from 130.7 million to 132.7 million, while it was up by 7.1 per cent compared to 2021 levels.
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