The 60-day grace period changes the nature of layoffs from a status event to a job search event. Once removed, a termination letter simultaneously becomes a countdown to departure. The rule states it is discretionary, but refusals have increased in recent years, and the proposal changes implied protection to implied invalidation. White House review approval does not equate to Trump signing an effective order; it merely allows the text to enter public comment. Writing "self-departure" as a settled policy will treat the proposal as immigration law.

The capital pathway is to retract the mobility of high-skilled labor from individual windows back to dual permissions between employers and the immigration office. The transfer market relies on this 60-day period: new employers have time to submit I-129, and old employers complete layoffs. Once the window disappears, the cost of layoffs spills over to families who must pack immediately, while companies must secure the next employer before issuing notices. The million-plus H-1B and dependent stock means the impact of this rule is greater than the annual lottery itself.

Comparisons include the establishment of the grace period in 2017, the fall cancellation of automatic work card extensions, and lawsuits over additional H-1B fees. The current phase is tightening regulation: first, work card renewals are restricted, then the unemployment window is restricted. Control shifts from time buffers in the labor market back to administrative discretion.

Structurally, this is a regulatory change. The mechanism is: status is attached to the position, and once the position is severed, status is severed, preventing labor from completing the next jump domestically. The shorter the window, the stronger the employer's bargaining power and the weaker the worker's bargaining power. The comment period is the real legislative battleground.

ABAB News · Cognitive Law

Once the position is severed, status is severed; the window is the labor market.
Review approval does not mean effectiveness; the publication text is the rule.
Compressing the days to find the next job increases employer bargaining power.