The Trump administration has proposed eliminating a 60-day grace period that allows certain immigrants, including skilled workers on H-1B visas, to stay in the United States and find a new sponsor after losing their job, according to a government notice posted online Thursday.

Under the planned rule change, published in the Federal Register by the US Department of Homeland Security, those with H-1B and certain other temporary work visas would have to leave the country as soon as their employment ends - a potential blow to top American tech companies that rely heavily on foreign workers.

The 60-day grace period, in place since 2017, allows foreign workers time to find another US job or get their affairs in order before leaving the country. H-1B visas, established by Congress in 1990, are especially critical for tech companies seeking talent from India and China, allowing them to fill roles where there is sometimes a lack of qualified US workers.

The rule is subject to a two-month public comment period before it can be enacted into law, while consultancy firms and immigration lawyers warn that the move would severely compress timelines for HR teams managing foreign national employees.