Apply for jobs, give interviews while on tourist, biz visa in US

WASHINGTON: The US has announced that individuals travelling to the country on a business or tourist visa — B-1 and B-2 — can apply for new jobs and even appear in interviews, but the prospective employees must ensure they’ve changed visa status before starting a new role.

B-1 and B-2 visas are generally referred to as “B visas”, and they are the most common types of visa issued for a wide range of uses in the United States. The B-1 visa is issued mainly for short-term business trips, while the B-2 visa is issued mainly travelling for tourism purposes.

In a note, and a series of tweets, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said on Wednesday when nonimmigrant workers are laid off, they may not be aware of their options and may, in some instances, wrongly assume that they have no option but to leave the country within 60 days.

The move by the USCIS came as thousands of highly skilled foreign-born workers, including Indians, in the US, have lost their jobs due to a series of recent layoffs at companies like Google, Microsoft and Amazon.

They are now struggling to find new employment within the stipulated 60-day period under their work visas following the termination of their employment to stay in the country.

The maximum 60-day grace period starts the day after termination of employment, which is typically determined based on the last day for which salary is paid.