It was discovered on Wednesday that those entering the country on a business or tourist visa are eligible to submit job applications and attend interviews.
Finding a job and having a job interview are both acceptable B-1 or B-2 activities, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services, which confirmed this in a tweet.
“If you are in B-1 or B-2 status, please remember you may not engage in employment while in B-1 status or while in B-2 status,” the government warned. “This prohibition includes employment in the domestic labour market, also known as “local labour for hire.”
It was made clear that a petition and request for a change of status from B-1 or B-2 to an employment-authorized status needed to be approved in order for the new status to go into effect before starting any new employment.
The organisation claimed that the person must leave the United States and be entered in an employment-authorized classification before beginning the new work if the change of status request is denied or the petition for new employment requests consular or port of entry notification.
As more and more workers are being laid off from the tech companies, the department has outlined options available to the jobless professionals, stating that when a nonimmigrant worker’s employment is terminated, either voluntarily or involuntarily, they may take one of the following actions to remain in a period of authorized stay in the United States:
- File an application for a change of nonimmigrant status;
- File an application for adjustment of status;
- File an application for a “compelling circumstances” employment authorization document; or
- Be the beneficiary of a non frivolous petition to change employer.
It merits mentioning that the US authorities are mulling changes in the immigration procedures which is an evergreen topic in the US legislature with many supporting to welcome immigrants from abroad while others opposing the move citing reasons ranging from religious to economic problems.
