You certainly don’t want to get fired, but you may work in an industry where it’s common. For instance, maybe you work in the tech industry. The company you work for could do a round of layoffs, letting go of thousands of workers at once. This is always a potential risk that you face unless you have an employment contract that guarantees it won’t happen to you.
While this is a risk for many workers, you may feel that it is especially problematic for you because you are an immigrant. Maybe you are only working in the United States because you have an employment visa, such as an H1B visa. Your employer sponsored you prior to the job, and that visa was granted so that you could take a specific position.
But since your immigration papers are connected to your employment, does that mean that you’re going to be deported if you get laid off? Would it mean that you were in violation of your employment visa?
The grace period
You could be deported after losing your job. But the good news is that there’s usually a grace period for you to find another job. With the H1B visa, for instance, the grace period is 60 days.
This still means that a layoff or termination is a significant issue for you, but there are ways to protect your immigration status. You may need to seek another job that satisfies the visa or look into other options. If you’re married, for example, you may be able to protect your status by using that marriage to get a green card.
As you can see, immigration is complex, which is why it’s so important to understand your legal options.