Explainer: What change in US work permit rule mean for Indians?

The United States has recently announced a move that would benefit thousands of Indians, particularly those waiting for the US green card. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has said that it will provide employment authorisation cards to some non-immigrant categories, including people waiting for green cards, for five years.

The US immigration services have increased the maximum validity period of Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) to five years for initial and renewal EADs for certain non-citizens, who must apply for employment authorisation.

These will include applicants seeking asylum or withholding of removal, change of status and suspension of deportation or cancellation of removal, the federal agency said in a press release dated September 27.

Why this step has been taken?

The US has said that it is extending the validity of the work permit with an aim to reduce the backlog of new applications it receives including renewing the EADs.

“Increasing the maximum EAD validity period to 5 years is intended to significantly reduce the number of new Forms I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, we receive for renewal EADs over the next several years, contributing to our efforts to reduce associated processing times and backlogs,” it said.

Notably, the employment-based green card backlog touched a record 18 lakh cases this year in the United States.

A Green Card, or a Permanent Resident Card, is a document that gives immigrants the right to live permanently in the US. The country issues over 10 lakh green cards annually, but only 7% of them can be allocated to one particular company.

Who will the move benefit?

The move will particularly benefit thousands of Indians who are in queue for an employment-based green card in the US.

Notably, more than 10.5 lakh Indians are in the queue for an employment-based Green Card in the country, a study in September revealed. Of these 4 lakh of them may die before they get the permanent residency document in the US.

Chinese applicants faced a 17-year wait, while the waiting period for Salvadorans, Hondurans, and Guatemalan applicants is much longer.

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