Recent moves by US President Donald Trump’s administration over the past few months, issuing several immigration-related executive orders aimed at curbing the flow of migrants to protect the rights of American workers, are likely to affect Indians the most, given that the United States was home to nearly 4.8 million Indian Americans as of 2022.
The US government recently implemented three major changes: Ending the automatic extension of employment authorization documents (EAD) for certain migrants, raising annual H-1B fees, and imposing stricter controls on green card holders applying for US citizenship.
End of automatic extension of work permits for non-immigrant foreign workers
The Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday the repeal of a provision that automatically extended employment authorization documents (EADs) for aliens who submit renewal applications. This reverses the Biden-era policy and now requires re-screening for non-immigrant visa holders seeking work permit extensions, a change that is likely to affect Indians as well.
New rules that end automatic EAD extensions for certain categories of foreign workers went into effect Thursday. Previously, in May 2022, the Biden administration revised the rules to allow for a 540-day automatic EAD extension without any verification once applicants have applied for an extension.
A significant number of Indian H-1B visa holders have dependents or spouses (H-4 visa) who rely on EAD (Employment Authorization) to work in the US. Eliminating automatic renewals creates an employment risk (job loss or gap) if renewal takes longer or is delayed. According to India Today, immigration experts have warned that the policy may cause workers to lose their jobs as EAD renewals can take 7 to 10 months to process.
Tougher civics test for green card holders applying for US citizenship
Green card holders or lawful permanent residents (LPRs) can become US citizens through naturalization if they meet the requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The 2025 Civics test will ensure applicants demonstrate English proficiency and knowledge of US government, promoting full integration and contribution.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will require aliens applying for U.S. citizenship through Form N-400, Petition for Naturalization, to take the 2025 civics test on or after October 20, 2025. Beginning on that date, the test will become more difficult and include additional questions that assess a deeper understanding of American history, government, and politics.
The H-1B visa fee has been increased to $100,000
On September 19, US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation raising the H-1B visa fee to a whopping $100,000 per year. H-1B visas allow companies to hire foreign professionals with specialized expertise, such as scientists and computer programmers, to work in the United States.
These visas are initially granted for three years and can be extended for up to six years. Each year, the United States issues 85,000 H-1B visas through a lottery process, with about 75% of the recipients coming from India. However, she clarified that the $100,000 H1B visa fee will not apply to “change of status” or “extension of stay” applicants under the new guidelines, according to ANI.
