The wait is over!(over)

Washington: The US has announced to provide employment authorization cards for five years  (over) to certain non-immigrant categories, including those waiting for a green card. Thousands of Indians living in the country will benefit from this step. According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), it is extending the maximum validity period of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) to five years for initial and renewal EADs for certain non-citizens.

The federal agency said these include those applying for asylum or withholding of removal, adjustment of status under INA 245, and suspension of deportation or revocation of removal. According to a new study, more than 10.5 lakh Indians are in line for an employment-based green card. It is estimated that 4 lakh of these may die before receiving the much-awaited legal documents for permanent residence in America.

Green Card is officially known as Permanent Residence Card. A green card is a document issued to immigrants to the United States as proof that the green card holder has been granted permission to reside in the country permanently. Approximately 1,40,000 employment-based green cards are issued every year under immigration law. However, every year any one of these countries can get only seven percent of the green cards. The annual limit on green cards granted to family members of a person permanently resident in the US is 2,26,000 for the entire world, while the annual limit on employment-based green cards is 1,40,000.