The implications for Indians of Trump’s proposed work permit and visa renewal regulations

Two new immigration policies implemented by the Trump administration in recent days may make it more difficult for thousands of foreign experts to get employment in the United States. The two developments appeared nearly at the same time. The government has finalized a rule that may temporarily deny some immigrants the ability to work, including spouses of people with H-1B visas. To work in the United States, many foreign nationals require an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), sometimes known as a work permit.

Those who filed to renew their work permit before it expired were allowed to continue working for up to 540 days while their application was being reviewed by US immigration authorities under the previous regime. Foreign nationals whose work permits expire while their renewal is being processed are now prohibited from continuing to work until the new permit arrives, according to the Trump administration. After going into effect temporarily in October of last year, the rule is now permanent. In addition, the Trump administration proposed a new rule on Wednesday that would result in lengthier wait periods and far more scrutiny of formerly common visa extensions, such as H-1B visas.

When evaluating extension applications, Washington wants to abandon its “deference” principle when no significant details have changed.

Consider an Indian professional who wants to extend their H-1B visa by three years while continuing to work for the same company. Since the applicant already has a visa and not much has changed since the prior application, immigration officials currently typically defer to the earlier decision rather than reexamining the case. The Trump administration now wants to eliminate this “deference,” which may cause significant uncertainty, paperwork, and delays for foreign workers.

Since Indian spouses of H-1B visa holders require this work permit in order to work in the US, the first regulation about EADs is expected to have the greatest impact on them. Due to straightforward processing delays, the rule might result in a substantial loss of revenue for households even if they have faithfully complied with immigration procedures, as multiple comments to US immigration officials have noted.

According to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) estimate, the law could potentially harm the US economy by costing firms $450 million in lost productivity and employee attrition over the course of 18 months. Additionally, it might result in a $14.5 million payroll tax deficit.

For the first regulation, the Trump administration has argued that the earlier policy could lead to increased security threats.

“The automatic extension, therefore, poses a security vulnerability that could allow bad actors to continue to work and generate income to potentially finance nefarious activities that pose an imminent threat to the American public,” the DHS said in a notice released on Wednesday.

To justify its action, the agency cited a case from June 2025 in which a foreign person who had been automatically issued a work permit assaulted peaceful protestors in Boulder, Colorado. Many people who took part in the public comments process pointed out that, considering the disruption it would cause to numerous households, it was unfair to change a policy based on a single occurrence.