The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced this Wednesday the end of the automatic extension of employment permits for certain categories, thereby canceling a measure taken by the previous Administration, under the argument of monitoring the background of immigrants
Foreigners who apply to renew their employment permit after October 30, 2025 “will no longer receive an automatic extension,” the DHS explained in a statement.
There are limited exceptions to this rule, including extensions provided by law or by Federal Register notice for employment documentation related to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for countries that still have it in effect.
The measure, which responds to an executive order issued by US President Donald Trump, puts an end to the extension granted by the Administration of former President Joe Biden (2017-2021), which in December of last year extended the validity of work permits for up to 540 days.
You may be interested: Business group sues Trump government over new fee for H-1B visas
The Biden Government’s effort sought to reduce interruptions in the hiring of authorized immigrants, who in many cases had to leave their positions pending renewal of the permit, amid a traffic jam at the Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which had received a record number of work permit applications in 2024.
The automatic extension of work permits had come into effect on January 13.
In this sense, the Trump Administration said that the elimination of automatic extensions of work permits entails a “more frequent background check” of foreigners who apply for employment authorization to work in the United States, which helps prevent fraud and detect people who may be deported.
“USCIS is placing renewed emphasis on thorough vetting and screening of aliens, eliminating policies implemented by the previous administration that prioritized the convenience of aliens over the safety of Americans,” said USCIS Director Joseph Edlow.
With information from EFE
Also read: Trump reaches his lowest approval level according to survey, contrary to his claims of having the ‘highest numbers’ in history
Follow information about the world in our international section
