Advice on Filing change of status from L1B to B2

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Hi all,

 

I am on L1B visa and it expires more than 2 years from now. However for health reasons mainly, I intend to quit my job and move back to my home country. After quitting the job I am allowed to remain in US for 2 months (grace period). Since that is not sufficient time for me to finish a medical treatment and also other personal matters before leaving, I  thought I would file a change of status to B2 and stay up to 6 months at most. Incidentally I already possess a B2 visa (not that it helps for change of status).

 

Here are my questions:

- Is change of status from work visa to B2 frowned upon? I hear that many people misuse it to get another job before being terminated. I have no such plans and I am planning to quit my current job entirely on my own will. I have no risk of losing job whatsoever.

- Are there significant risks in applying for change of status? My concerns would be whether if it gets rejected, I would not even be allowed to utilize my work visa grace period and be forced to leave immediately. Or I might have problems coming to US in the future (if I want to).

- If I want to apply for  change of status, should I first inform my employer and apply for resignation before applying for change of status?

- Is going outside and coming back on B2 visa safer? That's just more travel and costs. It's also more uncertainty because I have property and bank account in US and would have to demonstrate strong home ties.

 

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Thanks