Ending Your H-1B Status & Departing the U.S.

H-1B status is valid until the end date indicated on your I-94 arrival/departure record. However, your actual status ends when your employment with UC San Diego concludes, unless you are granted a grace period. For example, if your employment ends three months before the expiration date on your I-797 H-1B approval notice, your H-1B status will also end on that date, unless a grace period is applied.

Regulations provide a grace period of up to 60 days or until the end of the authorized petition validity period—whichever is shorter—for employees who experience a "cessation of employment" under the H, TN, E, L, or O visa classifications. This grace period is not automatic; it is granted at the discretion of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Please note that the grace period allows you to remain in the U.S. to prepare for departure or to change status, but it does not grant employment authorization.

Please inform the ISEO Scholar Services Team when your appointment at UC San Diego ends by completing an H-1B Early Departure Request through iServices. Our office is required to notify the appropriate government agencies of your departure.

If you have any questions about your status ending, feel free to contact a Scholar Advisor at icontact.ucsd.edu.