Commonsense Workforce-Focused Changes as Biden Administration Wraps Up

Washington, DC – The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) responded to several workforce-focused changes the Biden Administration announced, including automatic extensions for employment authorization documents (EADs), and modernizing both H-1B and H-2 programs.

AILA’s President Kelli Stump highlighted the impact of the news: “As advocates, we have been highlighting for the past few years how important these commonsense changes are to ensuring the U.S. has the workforce necessary for success. Just last week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a final rule making permanent the automatic EAD extension from 180 days to 540 days. Given backlogs and delays in processing renewals, this automatic extension will allow employers and employees to have more certainty that vital workers won’t have to unexpectedly drop out of the workforce due to processing delays. AILA is proud to have advocated for these changes which will help ensure a thriving American economy.”

AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson stated, “The H-1B and H-2 Modernization Final Rules revise the existing processes to be more effective and efficient, improving consistency in adjudications and enhancing the overall integrity of the system. Recognizing the need to update the H-1B visa program, the final rule will help meet the needs of U.S. employers and create additional opportunities for innovation and expansion. The H-2B final rule will protect H-2A and H-2B workers, while ensuring that U.S. businesses can fill temporary labor shortages. AILA and our members were steadfast in urging significant revisions to the existing rules so that both visa programs can more effectively increase our shared prosperity. All together, these changes will bolster the integrity of these programs and help both employers and employees navigate what can often be an uncertain amalgam of immigration laws and policies.”