The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that individuals traveling to the US on a tourist or business visa are now permitted to apply for jobs and even attend interviews.
B-1/B-2 visas are for short non-immigrant visitors who want to enter the USA for travel or business purposes.
According to the latest guidelines issued by the USCIS, if you are in the USA on a B-1/B-2 visa, you are eligible to apply for jobs and even appear in interviews.
However, here are a few things you need to know before you use your short visit to land your dream job in the USA:
- While you can appear in job interviews and apply for employment, you can’t work with a B1/B2 visa status in the USA. It means that you will need to have your visa status changed to an approved status such as H-1B visa in order to commence working with your new employer in the USA.
- This can also help you extend your grace period of 60 days after being laid off by your US-based employer if you are already an H-1B visa holder. You can extend your stay beyond 60 days with a B1-B2 visa, apply for jobs and then change your status back to H-1B visa holder when you land another job.
The USCIS advises applicants to make sure that they have obtained authorization to work before starting a new job.
The USCIS notes that nonimmigrant workers who are laid off may assume that they have no choice but to leave the country within 60 days, which is the maximum grace period after termination of employment.
To avoid this situation, the USCIS recommends that workers take action within the grace period to remain in authorized stay in the US, such as by filing an application for a change of nonimmigrant status or adjustment of status.
Job searching and interviewing for a position are permissible activities under B-1 or B-2 visas, but workers must obtain authorization to work before beginning any new employment.
Foreign nationals who wish to travel to the US for purposes such as sightseeing, vacation, or business must apply for a non-immigrant visa before their travel.
This type of visa is intended for those who are visiting the US temporarily and have no intention of permanently residing there. The US visa application process includes a personal interview with consular officers and is categorized using an alpha-numeric system.
B1/B2 visas are issued together, indicating two distinct reasons for travel.
B1 visas, also known as business visas, are granted to individuals engaging in business-related activities such as attending educational, professional or business conferences or seminars, consultations with business associates, negotiation of contracts, and other activities of a commercial or professional nature.
The B2 visa, also known as a tourist visa, is issued to those traveling temporarily to visit the US, friends or relatives, attend cultural or social events, and receive medical treatment, among other reasons. Foreign nationals must apply for a US Visitor Visa or US Tourist Visa at any US Consulate in their country, within the consular district. The Consulate has appointed Visa Facilitation Service (VFS) as the off-site interview scheduler.
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