H-1B Compass
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Free · 60 seconds · clarity for the stay-vs-depart decision

How long can you afford to job-hunt?

The 60-day clock is the legal deadline; your savings are the financial one. This calculator surfaces both: when do you run out of grace, and when do you run out of cash? Run them side-by-side to make the stay-vs-depart decision honestly.

Your runway

All figures stay in your browser. Severance amount is the net amount after tax withholding; if your gross is $50,000 expect ~$35K-$40K to land in your account.

Cash + brokerage you can access without penalty. Don't include retirement accounts.

$

After tax withholding. Often 65-75% of gross.

$

Rent + utilities + food + COBRA + everything else.

$

From the grace calculator.

days

How many months of burn you want kept as a hard floor (e.g. for departure costs / re-establishment in home country).

mo

Information only

The cushion is the floor you don’t want to break — typical answers are 3 months of burn for staying in the US, or 6 months if you might depart (covers initial costs + early-arrival expenses).

Your runway

8.2 months

245 days from today, with a $25,500 cushion preserved.

Your financial runway extends well past the grace period. Decision can be driven by the immigration timeline, not the financial one.

Two clocks, side-by-side

Immigration grace period

60 days

Financial runway (with cushion)

245 days

Your tighter deadline is 60 days from today (immigration).

Pair with the other tools

  • · Severance optimizer — find the $20K-$200K hiding in your offer (RSU acceleration, 401(k) NRA tax avoidance) — directly extends your runway.
  • · Departure cost calculator — if departure is on the table, this surfaces the $15K-$40K all- in cost so you size your cushion correctly.
  • · Grace-period calculator — the 60-day legal clock you’re comparing against.

This is an information-only tool, not legal advice. You are responsible for your decisions. When in doubt, consult an immigration attorney.