Free tool for H-1B workers
When does your H-1B grace period end?
Enter your last day of employment and the Admit Until Date on your I-94. The calculator gives you the last day of your grace period and a dated list of the ways through it.
Your dates show here.
Enter both dates. You get the last day of your grace period, how many days are left, and what has to happen by then.
Date estimate only, not legal advice. This grace period is discretionary. Confirm your deadline and filing options with an immigration attorney.
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The rules
In plain words.
- After an H-1B job ends, you may be considered to keep your status for up to 60 consecutive calendar days, or until your I-94 ends if that comes first.
- The 60 days start the day after your employment ends, which USCIS usually takes to be the last day you are paid.
- By the last day, a new employer files an H-1B petition for you, or you file to change to another status, or you leave the United States.
- If you are eligible for H-1B portability, you can start working for a new employer once USCIS receives its nonfrivolous petition.
- You cannot work during the grace period unless you are authorized another way, and leaving the United States ends it.
- It is discretionary, and available once per petition validity period. USCIS decides whether to grant it when it decides your next filing.
- DHS proposed removing the grace period on September 11, 2026. That is a proposal: the rule above remains in effect unless a final rule takes effect.
Sources
- 8 CFR 214.1(l)(2), the grace period rule (eCFR), text current as of October 13, 2026.
- USCIS: Options for Nonimmigrant Workers Following Termination of Employment, updated January 24, 2025, now in the USCIS archive.
- Federal Register: Eliminating the Discretionary 60-Day Grace Period (proposed rule), published September 11, 2026, comments close November 10, 2026.
Checked by Careery on October 15, 2026.
Not legal advice. This calculator does arithmetic on the dates you enter. It is not legal advice. Your I-94, your final pay date and how USCIS exercises its discretion decide your real dates, and the rules may change. Talk to an immigration attorney about your own case before you rely on a date.
FAQ
Questions people ask next.
When does the H-1B grace period start?
The day after your last day of employment. USCIS typically takes that to be the last day for which you are paid, which can be later than your last day at work if you are paid through a notice period.
Can the grace period be shorter than 60 days?
Yes. It ends on your I-94 Admit Until Date if that comes before day 60. USCIS can also decide not to grant it, since it is discretionary.
Can I start a new job before the new petition is approved?
If you are eligible for H-1B portability, you can start once USCIS receives the new employer's nonfrivolous H-1B petition. Confirm it with the employer's immigration attorney.
Is the 60-day grace period being removed?
DHS proposed removing it on September 11, 2026, with comments open until November 10, 2026. Unless a final rule takes effect, the current rule applies.