US Cancels Automatic Work Permit Extensions for Foreign Nationals . The number of immigrants arriving in the United States from foreign countries has been steadily increasing. According to the 2022 census, there are about 4.8 million Indian Americans living in the U.S. Of these, 66% are immigrants, while 34% were born in the United States. To control the rising number of foreign nationals, the U.S. government has introduced several new measures. Recently, the H-1B visa fee for foreign workers was raised to $10,000. Now, the government has also revoked the automatic work permit extension system previously granted to foreign employees. This move is expected to impact thousands of Indian professionals and their spouses working in the U.S. under various visa categories. Under the new rule, foreign workers must manually renew their Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) before their current ones expire. Failure to do so will result in the denial of work permit extensions. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow explained that the step aims to ensure proper verification of documents before granting work extensions. He stated, “This measure ensures that the documents of foreign workers are reviewed before their work extension is approved. Applicants must apply for renewal at least 180 days before the EAD expiration. Working in the United States should be seen as a privilege, not an entitlement.” Previously, foreign workers could file Form I-765 and automatically receive a 540-day extension on their work permits. That system has now been discontinued under the new policy.
