A major policy shift by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is set to impact thousands of Indian professionals and their families working in the United States. Beginning Thursday, foreign nationals will no longer receive automatic extensions on their Employment Authorisation Documents (EADs), meaning anyone whose renewal is not approved before their current permit expires will be required to stop working immediately.
Until now, foreign workers were allowed to continue their jobs for up to 540 days while their renewal applications were being processed. However, DHS announced that this grace period will end, citing the need for more frequent vetting and stronger security measures. The department advised applicants to file renewal requests up to 180 days before expiry to reduce the risk of losing work authorization.
The new rule is expected to hit Indian nationals particularly hard, as they make up a large portion of the skilled foreign workforce already struggling with extensive green card and visa delays. Those most affected will include H-1B visa holders awaiting permanent residency, H-4 dependent spouses who rely on work permits, students on STEM OPT extensions, and employment-based green card applicants with pending cases.
Legal experts warn that the policy could lead to widespread job losses and disruptions. Henry Lindpere, a senior immigration attorney, noted that most workers will lose authorization the moment their current EAD expires, since processing times at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) can range anywhere from three to twelve months depending on category and location.
USCIS and DHS have defended the move as a national security measure. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow stated that working in the US is a privilege, not a right, and that the agency is placing renewed focus on thorough background checks before approving extensions. Officials cited a 2025 case in Colorado involving an asylum seeker as an example of the need for tighter screening.
Only a few categories are exempt from the new rule, including holders of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or those covered by special provisions under federal law or notices published in the Federal Register. For everyone else, once the current work permit expires, employment must stop immediately, even if a renewal application is pending.
For Indian workers, the implications are especially serious. Many have been waiting years—sometimes decades—for green cards due to per-country quotas, relying on temporary work permits that require frequent renewal. Immigration lawyers warn that delays under the new system could lead to forced unemployment, financial instability, and potential visa violations.
“This change could trigger a wave of job losses among skilled Indian professionals who have built their lives in the US,” said an immigration consultant based in New Jersey. “Even a short delay in processing could mean losing legal status and the right to work.”
The new DHS rule follows a series of restrictive immigration measures under the Trump administration, including a dramatic increase in H-1B visa fees and new hiring bans for foreign nationals at public universities in Florida. Officials argue these actions are intended to protect American jobs and ensure that only highly qualified foreign workers enter the US labour market.
For now, however, the rule adds another layer of uncertainty for hundreds of thousands of Indian professionals in the US technology, healthcare, and research sectors—many of whom are already trapped in one of the world’s most complex and unforgiving immigration systems.
