L1A: how long after dismissal can I stay in the country?

[rbp 0]

Hi,

 

I'm in the US under an L1-A visa. Today I was laid off, with a termination date of May 1st (next Monday). I'm OK with leaving the country, but how long after the termination date can I stay, in order to arrange my move back home? I have read in many places that I should leave the country immediately (meaning, on Monday itself). But then again someone else at my work was in a similar situation and was told they could stay for 60 days after the termination date. Has something changed? Is this a special situation?

 

Thanks!

 

[This if my first post here, I hope I'm following proper etiquette!]

[jan22 2,898]

There is legally no "grace period" in which you can remain in the US in L-1 status after being laid off by the company.  I can think of several options.  You can give someone a Power of Attorney to finalize your personal business in the US, you can look into filing for a change of status to a visitor visa, or you can be out of status for a short period of time being sure not to stay so long as to incur a ban on future entries.  Each of these methods has some problems associated with it that maybe a quick consultation with a good immigration attorney could help you resolve and pick the right option for you.

Edited April 27, 2017 by jan22