I was recently laid off. Can I apply for a change of status to B-2 so that I can look for a new H1B job?

Answer

We still are routinely seeing applications approved for people who apply for a change of status from H1B to B-2 while in their 60-day grace period. However, the USCIS has archived its webpage that specifically states looking for jobs while in B-2 status is permissible. So, it is possible the USCIS intends to generally stop approving such requests at some point in the future. (16.Dec.2025)

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