Breathe first. Then find your one date.
The meeting was short. The email from HR was shorter. And now the visa you worked so hard for feels like it could vanish this week. It usually cannot. Most countries on this page give you some time, and the person who knows their exact date is already ahead of the panic.
The hard part is that each country starts the clock on a different day. Some count from your last paid day. Some count from a letter that has not arrived yet. Some count from your permit's own end date. The finder asks for the one date your rule uses, and shows the rule in the authority's own words.
The rules, country by country
Every row comes from the official page linked in it. Where an officer decides, we say so instead of giving you a number.
| Visa | The rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| United States: H-1B | Up to 60 consecutive days, or until your authorized stay on the I-94 ends, whichever is shorter. You get it once in each authorized validity period.Partly at an officer's discretion. | Official page |
| United States: L-1 | Up to 60 consecutive days, or until your authorized stay on the I-94 ends, whichever is shorter. You get it once in each authorized validity period.Partly at an officer's discretion. | Official page |
| United States: O-1 | Up to 60 consecutive days, or until your authorized stay on the I-94 ends, whichever is shorter. You get it once in each authorized validity period.Partly at an officer's discretion. | Official page |
| United States: TN | Up to 60 consecutive days, or until your authorized stay on the I-94 ends, whichever is shorter. You get it once in each authorized validity period.Partly at an officer's discretion. | Official page |
| United Kingdom: Skilled Worker (including Health and Care Worker) | Where you are not at fault, the Home Office guidance says caseworkers should normally leave you 60 days from the date the cancellation notice is served, to find a new sponsor, switch route or leave.Partly at an officer's discretion. | Official page |
| Canada: Employer-specific work permit | If you lose the job connected to your employer-specific permit, you must stop working for this or any other employer. You need to leave Canada by the "Must leave by" date on your permit if you cannot get a new job offer or do not apply for another program.Partly at an officer's discretion. | Official page |
| Australia: Skills in Demand (subclass 482) | You have up to 180 days from the date you finish working for your sponsor to find another approved sponsor, be granted a different visa, or leave. Across the whole visa, the total time without a sponsor cannot pass 365 days. | Official page |
| Australia: Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (subclass 494) | Condition 8608 lets you stop working for your sponsor for up to 180 consecutive days at a time, and 365 days in total across the visa, to find a new sponsor, get another visa or leave. | Official page |
| Singapore: Employment Pass | Your employer must cancel your pass within 1 week after your last day of notice. It can request a Short-Term Visit Pass, which MOM says gives valid stay for up to 90 days.Partly at an officer's discretion. | Official page |
| Singapore: S Pass | Your employer must cancel your pass within 1 week after your last day of notice. It can request a Short-Term Visit Pass, which MOM says gives valid stay for up to 30 days.Partly at an officer's discretion. | Official page |
| Germany: EU Blue Card | You must tell the foreigners authority within two weeks of becoming aware that your job is ending early. Your employer must also tell it within four weeks. The authority may then shorten your permit or revoke the Blue Card if the conditions are no longer met.Partly at an officer's discretion. | Official page |
| Netherlands: Highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) | If you lose your job while your permit is valid, you have up to 3 months to find a new job. If you became unemployed on or after 22 May 2026 and have held the permit for 2 years or more, you have up to 6 months. The period cannot run past your permit's end date. | Official page |
| United Arab Emirates: Employment visa (skill levels 1 to 3) | ICP grants a 90-day grace period after the expiry or cancellation of the residence permit for skilled workers in levels 1 to 3.Partly at an officer's discretion. | Official page |
| United Arab Emirates: Employment visa (other skill levels) | GDRFA Dubai gives a 60-day grace period after cancellation or expiry. ICP lists 60 days for residence permits issued with a guarantor and 30 days for all other categories.Partly at an officer's discretion. | Official page |
| New Zealand: Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) | If you have a job offer from a different accredited employer, you can apply for a Job Change. It changes your visa conditions so you can work for the new employer, but it does not make your visa longer. You still have to leave before your visa ends.Partly at an officer's discretion. | Official page |
| Ireland: Critical Skills Employment Permit | Notify the Employment Permits Section within 4 weeks on the Redundancy Notification Form. You then have up to 6 months from the date you were made redundant to find another job. | Official page |
| Ireland: General Employment Permit | Notify the Employment Permits Section within 4 weeks on the Redundancy Notification Form. You then have up to 6 months from the date you were made redundant to find another job. | Official page |
Three mistakes that cost people their window
- Waiting for a letter. In the UK the window counts from the notice, but the weeks before it are your best search time. Our guide to redundancy on a sponsored visa explains why the date on your exit papers matters so much.
- Taking any work to cover the gap. Most of these visas do not let you work for anyone else until a new permit is in place. Unauthorised work stays on your record.
- Paying a stranger for a sponsor. Fake recruiters look for people with a date and no income. A real employer pays its own sponsorship costs. See how to check a job offer.
Thinking of a fresh start somewhere else instead? Read laid off: should I move abroad? and changing employer on a sponsored visa.
Frequently asked questions
How long can I stay in the US after losing my H-1B job?
Up to 60 consecutive days, or until your I-94 ends if that comes first (8 CFR 214.1(l)(2)). The same rule covers L-1, O-1, TN, E-1, E-2, E-3 and H-1B1 workers. USCIS says the count starts the day after your employment ends, usually your last paid day. DHS may shorten it, so file well before day 60.
Does the UK give 60 days after a Skilled Worker job ends?
Usually, but not from your last day at work. Your sponsor reports the end of your job, then the Home Office may cancel your permission. Its guidance says caseworkers should normally leave you 60 days from the date the notice is served, if you are not at fault. It is a decision, not a fixed right, and your notice gives your date.
How many days do I have on an Australian 482 or 494 visa?
Up to 180 days from the date you finish working for your sponsor, to find a new sponsor, get another visa or leave. Across the whole visa, the time without a sponsor cannot pass 365 days. Gaps before 1 July 2024 do not count.
Is there a grace period in Canada or New Zealand?
Not one that starts when your job ends. In Canada, your status runs to the "Must leave by" date on your employer-specific permit, but you must stop working at once. In New Zealand, a Job Change lets you move to a new accredited employer, but it does not make your visa longer.
What if I stay after my date?
You lose lawful status, and an overstay is something you declare on visa forms for years. Redundancy is a normal work event. If nothing is filed two weeks before your date, leaving cleanly is usually the step that protects your future applications most.
General information, not legal advice. Rules were checked on the official pages in November 2026 and can change. Your own notice, permit or letter always comes first. Ask a licensed adviser or lawyer before you file anything.
