US Senators push to reverse auto-renewal of work permits back to 180 days

Washington: Two influential Republican Senators have introduced a resolution to reverse a Biden-era rule that increased the period for renewing work permits from 180 to 540 days.

The automatic extension of the Employment Authorisation Document (EAD) from 180 days to 540 days was of great help to the spouses of H-1B visa holders, a significant number of whom were from India.

The rule finalised by the Department of Homeland Security on January 13 applies broadly to immigrants, refugees, green card holders, spouses of H-1B visa holders and more.

Introduced on Thursday jointly by Senators John Kennedy and Rick Scott, the resolution seeks disapproval under Congressional Review Act (CRA) procedures for the Biden administration’s rule that automatically extended the renewal period for an immigrant EAD to almost a year-and-a-half before officials could review those permits.

“The Biden administration’s dangerous rule automatically extended work permits for immigrants to 540 days. Giving immigrants more time to avoid reporting to US officials hampers the Trump administration’s efforts to enforce our immigration laws and keep Americans safe,” said Kennedy.

In a statement, Scott alleged that the Biden-Harris administration worked for four years straight to dismantle America’s immigration system and open the southern border, allowing millions of illegal aliens to come across the border unvetted and unchecked.

“Then, in a last-minute move, former President Biden passed a ridiculous rule that allows illegal aliens to keep jobs in the United States for over a year without authorisation. That’s insane, and it undermines President Trump’s mandate and efforts to secure the border and put Americans’ interests first,” Scott said.

The two Senators warned that if Congress fails to reverse the Biden administration’s rule, the Trump administration may face more difficulty detecting those who live and work illegally in the US.