White House Commission recommends easing Green Card process with earlier work permits
White House Commission for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Affairs (AANHPI) has approved a recommendation to issue employment authorization cards and travel documents at the initial stage of Green Card applications.
If approved by US President Joe Biden, this proposal would provide much-needed relief to countless foreign professionals, especially Indians who face Green Card wait times stretching into decades. The recommendation suggests that the US Department of Homeland Security's US Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS USCIS) should grant EADs and travel documents to individuals with approved I-140 employment-based visa petitions in the EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 categories, who have been waiting in the visa backlog for five or more years, regardless of their adjustment of status application status.
The Green Card, also known as the Permanent Resident Card, is a crucial document granting immigrants the privilege of residing in the United States permanently. The Green Card application process involves multiple stages, beginning with employers filing I-140 applications, followed by the adjustment of status (I-485).
At the I-485 stage, applicants currently receive their Employment Authorization Card (EAD) and Advance Parole travel documents, enabling them to work for any employer until their Green Card application is fully processed. This recommendation was proposed by Ajay Jain Bhutoria, a prominent Indian American community leader and a member of the White House Commission for AANHPI.
The validity of these EAD and travel documents should extend until the final stage of their Green Card application is processed. This recommendation has been accepted by the Commission.
US
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