The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a measure to temporarily extend the validity of work permits for approximately 800,000 immigrants. This action is part of the agency's ongoing efforts to address and mitigate the prolonged case backlog that has been affecting applicants of various immigration statuses.
The USCIS decided to extend the duration of work permits from 180 days to 540 days for those immigrants who have submitted their renewal application as of October 27, 2023.
This change will relieve pressure on nearly 800,000 immigrants, including asylum seekers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries, and permanent residency applicants, who without this measure faced the possibility of losing their jobs.
Additionally, the extension benefits nearly 80,000 employers nationwide, who would otherwise have had to forgo the labor contributions of these immigrant workers.
The announcement comes after a group of more than 60 Democratic congressmen last week urged the US Government to extend the automatic extension period for work permits.
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In a statement, USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou said that Temporary extension offers US government additional opportunity to “consider long-term solutions” in order to resolve the backlog of cases.
Jaddou highlighted the agency's progress in reducing processing times for most work permit renewal and issuance categories, despite facing a record volume of applications that has challenged renewal processes.
This announcement follows a recent call from a group of more than 60 Democratic members of Congress, who urged the Government to extend the automatic renewal period for work permits. Lawmakers noted that despite efforts to advance the backlog, processing delays continue to affect thousands of immigrants. As of September 2023, there were 279,000 stalled renewal applications.
Illinois Congressman Jesús 'Chuy' García, one of the signatories of the letter, celebrated the USCIS announcement, highlighting the importance of the measure to provide stability to affected immigrants.
“This new rule provides some stability for many immigrants. I will continue to fight to address delays, protect and expand access to work permits for newcomers and long-term immigrants,” García said.
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This content was rewritten with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on information from EFE, and was reviewed by the journalist and an editor.
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