Employment is often how people without direct connections to the United States first enter the country. A work visa can represent an opportunity for you and your immediate family members.
You can take your career to the next level when you accept a job in the United States. Provided that you and your family members meet the criteria set by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), you can enter the country and live here to work a domestic job.
Spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21 can potentially qualify for subordinate visas and travel with you when you qualify for an employment visa. After you relocate your entire family to the United States for a job opportunity, you may be able to renew your visa if everything works out well, increasing how long you work the same job and live in the country. In time, you may qualify for a green card, which will make you a permanent resident.
The opposite could also happen. You could lose your job after entering the United States with a work visa. Will you and your family have to leave the country immediately after your termination?
There is a grace period for those with work visas
Your right to be in the United States doesn’t summarily disappear when you lose your job. The USCIS does recognize that even skilled, educated professionals can lose their jobs due to factors outside of their control. Your entire family could need to arrange international travel with minimal advance notice.
Thankfully, you won’t face immediate deportation or removal proceedings when the USCIS learns that you lost your job. You will potentially have as long as 60 days to secure a new offer of employment. During that time, you may also want to look into alternative immigration options.
There may be several possible opportunities for your family depending on your current circumstances. Simultaneously looking into other visa programs or whether you qualify for a green card while you look for new work is likely the best approach. Provided that you do find a new job, you can maintain continual residence in the United States and avoid the expense and turmoil involved in an international relocation.
Understanding the rules that determine your rights when you have an employment visa will make staying in the country a simpler goal to achieve.