New US Visa EAD Rule: How Will It Affect Indians?

The Donald Trump-led government has announced the controversial move to end the Biden-era automatic extensions for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) from October 30, 2025. The new rule, which has sparked a massive outrage, will require legal immigrants awaiting work permit renewals to undergo fresh vetting before extensions are granted.

Immigration advocates have strongly criticized the new policy, saying it will hurt H-4 visa holders, mainly spouses of skilled H-1B workers, by causing job loss and uncertainty. Under the previous policy, eligible immigrants could continue working legally while their renewal applications were pending.

The Trump administration defends the sudden change as a fraud prevention and security measure, but immigration legal experts and critics warn it could create economic downturn and emotional hardship for thousands of families due to already long processing delays.

Immigration attorney Emily Neumann strongly criticized the new policy, arguing that slow US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) processing times are the real issue and not the extensions. With the October 30 deadline looming, immigration experts are urging the Trump government to reconsider the controversial rule before its implementation to prevent further disruption to immigrant communities.

For Indians, especially H-1B professionals and their spouses on H-4 visas, the rule could result in sudden employment gaps, financial instability, and the risk of losing long-held jobs, as they make up the largest group affected by the change.