Once again, President Trump’s “Buy American, Hire American” initiative is bringing upheaval to the nation’s immigrant population. In this newest update, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is considering some new regulations that would impact extension petitions of H-1B workers.
Under the current regulations, H-1B holders are given 6 years on their H-1B. If they have a green card pending for them, under the AC21 provisions, they are allowed to extend and maintain their H-1B visas while awaiting the approval of their green cards. But now the DHS is considering to reinterpret the “may grant” language in AC21 to stop making extensions beyond 6 year mark.
These new regulations could potentially put a full stop on H-1B holders extending their H-1B status. It will undoubtedly uproot the lives of thousands of H-1B holders, who have established their lives here in the US for years, in some cases, over a decade. It will dent legal, employment based immigration path to green card and than to citizenship.
While no news has been confirmed, this is still a development that bears watching out for.
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