The US has announced that it will provide employment authorization cards to certain non-immigrant categories, including those waiting for green cards, for a period of five years. This move is expected to benefit tens of thousands of Indians living in the country. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has decided to increase the maximum validity period of Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) to five years for both initial and renewal applications for certain non-citizens who need to apply for employment authorization. These include individuals who have applied for asylum or withholding of removal, adjustment of status under INA 245, and suspension of deportation or cancellation of removal. The aim of extending the maximum validity period of EADs to five years is to significantly reduce the number of new applications for renewal EADs that the USCIS receives in the coming years. This is part of their efforts to reduce processing times and backlogs. However, it is important to note that whether a non-citizen can maintain employment authorization still depends on their underlying status, circumstances, and the category in which they filed their EAD. For example, if an individual received an EAD based on a pending adjustment of status application for the maximum validity period of five years, but the adjustment application is denied, their employment authorization may be terminated before the expiration date listed on their EAD. According to a recent study, over 1.05 million Indians are currently in the queue for an employment-based Green Card, and it is estimated that 400,000 of them may die before receiving the permanent residency document. The employment-based Green Card backlog has reached a new record of 1.8 million cases this year, with 63% of them being from India and 14% from China, according to the study conducted by David J Bier of the Cato Institute.
Fri. Sep 20th, 2024
