Laid off on an H-1B: what actually happens to your 60 days

This is the most-asked question in every immigration forum right now, so here is what the rules say. We have published it as a starting point — add your own situation below and the room will know more than we do about how it plays out in practice. **When the clock starts.** The day after your last paid day, not the day you were told. The window is up to 60 consecutive days *or* the end date on your I-94, whichever comes first — and people routinely forget the second half and lose weeks they thought they had. **What you can do inside it.** A new employer can file for you with a request to extend your stay; you can file to change to another status; you can file to adjust status if a visa is available to you; or, if you hold an approved I-140 and your priority date is not current, you can apply for a compelling-circumstances work permit. That last route exists specifically for people stuck in a backlog. **What ends it.** Doing nothing. If the window closes with nothing filed, you and any dependants are expected to leave. We cannot tell you which route fits your case — that turns on your petition, your dates, and your family's status. Take it to somebody qualified, and use the window to do it rather than to research it.