NewsIMTS540 days of automatic work permit extensions for foreign workers in the US ended on November 21, 2024, as the Department of Homeland Security implemented a new rule effective immediately. Under the change, foreign workers, particularly Indians who form a large portion of the US expat workforce, will lose authorization to work the day after their current permits expire if renewals aren't approved in time. This policy significantly impacts Indian professionals including H-1B visa holders awaiting green cards, their H-4 spouses dependent on work permits, STEM students on work extensions, and employment-based green card applicants stuck in visa backlogs who must repeatedly renew authorizations. Immigration law expert Henry Lindpere called this "a major shift in how employment authorisation renewals are handled." The change forces affected workers to stop working if their renewal applications aren't processed before current permits expire, potentially disrupting careers and livelihoods of thousands of Indian professionals in the United States. (Updated 30 Oct 2025, 09:43 IST; source: link)
Key Points
- 540 days of automatic work permit extensions for foreign workers in the US ended on November 21, 2024, as the Department of Homeland Security implemented a new rule effective immediately.
- Under the change, foreign workers, particularly Indians who form a large portion of the US expat workforce, will lose authorization to work the day after their current permits expire if renewals aren't approved in time.
- This policy significantly impacts Indian professionals including H-1B visa holders awaiting green cards, their H-4 spouses dependent on work permits, STEM students on work extensions, and employment-based green card applicants stuck in visa backlogs who must repeatedly renew authorizations.
