I heard a very interesting story on NPR yesterday, regarding a problem being experienced by H1B Visa holders in the US, who have lost their jobs.
http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/
The problem has occurred due to the recent downturn in the economy, leaving many H1B holders unemployed, following corporate lay-offs. As this was not anticipated when the programme was initiated, it has left many people living in the US, currently without the legal right to work in the US, and without the ability to find other work, as the visa is issued solely on the basis of the job they just lost. Without the visa, they may be subject to deportation.
In order to work legally, if they can find another job, they must get their new employer to apply for another H1B visa, which takes a minimum of 60 days (and maybe as long as 180 days) to obtain. Until the visa is issued, they cannot legally be employed.
It is an interesting problem, but quite relevant to all the regular rumours regarding US carriers getting green cards, etc. The Aviation business is notorious for being cyclical and could you imagine the anguish of a large lay-off of visa holders in this industry?