Washington: The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced to permanently increase the automatic extension of the work permit renewal period for H-4 and L-2 visa holders from up to 180 days to up to 540 days. The latest move will be highly beneficial for the spouses of H-1B visa holders (H-4) as well as spouses of L-1 visa holders (L-2).
Effective from January 13, 2025, the changes will be applied to all the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) renewal applications, which are either pending or filed on or after May 4, 2022. “This announcement responds to feedback from the business community to create more certainty for employers,” according to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N Mayorkas said that the American economy created over 16 million jobs since January 2021, while the department was committed to helping businesses fill these posts. “Increasing the automatic extension period for certain employment authorization documents will help eliminate red tape that burdens employers, ensure hundreds of thousands of individuals eligible for employment can continue to contribute to our communities, and further strengthen our nation’s robust economy,” Mayorkas noted.
Meanwhile, the US State Department data showed a 38 per cent drop in F-1 student visas issued to Indians in the first nine months of 2024 as compared to the same period last year.
