The US government granted a work permit extension for a year and a half, helping thousands of migrant workers continue their immigration process without losing their jobs or security.
The US government has decided to grant a new work permit extension measure, helping a certain group of migrants. Among those benefited by this policy are migrants who are currently processing their Green Cards to obtain permanent residence and those that have H1-B visas.
A Green Card ensures that the person living in the United States is a permanent resident of the country. The H-1B work visa allows its beneficiaries to obtain a temporary job in the United States under non-migrant status.
Under this new policy, recently announced by the DHS, most immigrants with work permits that have recently expired or are about to expire will be able to continue working for up to a year and a half more without having to re-apply.
What are the advantages of the new work permit extension measures?
This new policy will allow two major problems to be solved: it proposes a solution to the situation of many migrant workers established in the US who seek to continue their immigration process without suffering the risk of losing their jobs and security. The work permit extension will allow non-citizens to keep their homes and continue to support their families.
Also, this new work permit extension policy seeks to address the unprecedented record of 1 million immigrant applications submitted to the country’s legal immigration agency. It is expected to give a large number of migrants the legal opportunity to work, thus solving the pressing problem of labor shortage in the country.
This will help US employers to conduct their work and business without disruption or instability. Following the work permit extension, most will be able to continue working while the government processes a huge backlog of permit applications.
How does the automatic work permit extension works?
All work permits will be automatically extended up to 540 days from the expiration date, as mentioned in the EAD (Employment Authorization Cards) in force. These are the most relevant details of the new measures in place:
- All immigrants with a 180-day extension and an expired work permit will be granted an extension period for employment authorization and EAD validity.
- Those non-citizens who are still under the previous 180-day extension period will receive an additional 360 days, for a total of 540 days, and will get an extension to the validity of the EAD.
- Those who have a valid EAD and have applied for renewal will be granted a 540-day extension if the renewal is not processed before the expiration of the EAD.
How will this measure continue in the future?
The work permit extension policy is a temporary measure and is set to last 18 months before reverting to the 180-day extension framework at the end of October 2023. That is how long the agency deems necessary to implement several of the other changes that have been put in place to reduce delays, add additional staff, and increase the efficiency of visa processing.
If you have a work permit that is about to expire, we remind you that after the 540-day extension, you can request the renewal of the permit up to six months before the scheduled expiration of your documents.
If you are in need of immigration legal advice, do not hesitate to contact us! At the Law Office of Shelle-Ann Simon we have wide experience in immigration proceedings, family law, and personal injury and have successfully defended our clients for over 10 years. Contact us through our website or give us a call at 281-606-5362!
