Washington: The Donald Trump administration has introduced a serious change to U.S. immigration coverage that might depart 1000’s of Indian professionals and their households with out the best to work. The Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) introduced that international nationals will now lose their computerized extension of labor authorisation if their Employment Authorisation Doc (EAD) renewal will not be accepted in time. The brand new rule got here into impact from October 30.
Below this rule, the automated extension of EADs can be discontinued. Which means non-U.S. residents whose renewal purposes stay pending will not be allowed to proceed working past the expiration of their present permits. The DHS mentioned that candidates who file for renewal on or after October 30, 2025, won’t be eligible for the automated extension profit beforehand obtainable.
Earlier, staff may proceed working for as much as 540 days whereas their renewal purposes have been underneath overview. With the brand new rule, nonetheless, if a renewal will not be accepted earlier than the prevailing EAD expires, the employee must cease working instantly.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Providers (USCIS) has suggested all international nationals to submit their renewal purposes properly upfront, a minimum of 180 days earlier than the expiration of their EAD. Officers warned that delays in submitting may end in short-term lapses in work authorisation and documentation, making it essential for candidates to plan forward.
Consultants consider the brand new regulation may have severe penalties for Indian employees, who make up a good portion of America’s immigrant expertise pool. Many are already coping with long-pending inexperienced card and visa circumstances.
Immigration lawyer Henry Lindpere described the transfer as a “main shift” in how employment authorisation renewals are dealt with in america.
The affected classes are more likely to embrace Indian professionals on Elective Sensible Coaching (OPT), H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B visa holders and people awaiting inexperienced card approvals.
The coverage change, a part of the Trump administration’s broader tightening of immigration processes, is anticipated to trigger uncertainty for 1000’s of Indian households who depend on steady work authorisation to keep up their livelihood in america.