Washington: In a landmark move, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) April 4 announced a significant extension to the automatic extension period for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs), which will particularly benefit South Asian immigrants especially Indian techies.
The announcement follows a recommendation made by Ajay Bhutoria, Advisor to President Biden on the White House Asian American and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Commission.
The temporary final rule issued by USCIS increases the automatic extension period for certain EAD renewal applicants from up to 180 days to up to 540 days. This extension applies to two categories of EAD applicants: those who timely and properly filed their Form I-765 applications on or after October 27, 2023, if the application is still pending on April 8, 2024, and those who timely and properly file their Form I-765 application on or after April 8, 2024, and on or before September 30, 2025.
Ajay Bhutoria’s recommendation, presented through the Immigration subcommittee, advocated for an extension of the automatic work permit renewal period to 365 days from the current 180 days.
Highlighting the challenges faced by immigrants waiting for their work permit renewals, often extending beyond 10 months, Bhutoria’s proposal resonated with USCIS’s strategy to address the backlog.
