The United States has announced that it will issue employment authorization cards to some non-immigrant categories, including individuals who has been waiting for green cards for the past five years.

Thousands of Indians living in the United States will gain from this. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the maximum validity length of Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) for original and renewal EADs for certain non-citizens who need to apply for employment authorization has been extended to 5 years.

People seeking asylum or withholding of removal, adjustment of status under INA 245, and delay of deportation or cancellation of removal are among those eligible, according to the federal agency.

The agency stated that by expanding the maximum EAD validity duration to 5 years, it hopes to lower the amount of new Forms I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, that it receives in the coming years for renewal EADs. According to the company, this will help them reduce processing times and backlogs.

For example, if a person receives an EAD under the category based on a pending adjustment of status application for 5 years and their adjustment application is denied, their job authorization may expire before the expiry date on their EAD, according to the statement.

According to a new study, more than 10.5 lakh Indians are in queue for an employment-based Green Card, and 4 lakh of them may die before receiving the permanent residency certificate in the United States.