Right here’s one other version of “Pricey Sophie,” the recommendation column that solutions immigration-related questions on working at know-how corporations.
“Your questions are important to the unfold of data that enables individuals everywhere in the world to rise above borders and pursue their desires,” says Sophie Alcorn, a Silicon Valley immigration lawyer. “Whether or not you’re in individuals ops, a founder or in search of a job in Silicon Valley, I might like to answer your questions in my subsequent column.”
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Pricey Sophie,
I’m on an L-2 visa as a dependent partner to my husband’s L-1A.
My EAD (work allow) is expiring in Might — we filed for the extension of each my visa and EAD a number of months in the past. How lengthy is the present course of?
Would possibly there be something I can achieve this my employment isn’t affected?
— Profession Centered
Pricey Centered,
I’ve bought unbelievable information for you and different L-1 spouses — and your employers! So long as your visa stays legitimate, you might be now not vulnerable to having your employment interrupted on account of delays in getting your Employment Authorization Doc (EAD).
Due to a coverage change by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Providers (USCIS), getting work authorization is now simpler for L-2 spouses of L-1 visa holders in addition to a number of different classes. As Elon Musk said this week, for anyone who desires to work laborious within the U.S., immigration must be a “no-brainer.”
Hovering processing instances
In the course of the previous two years, processing instances for EADs soared on account of a mixture of backlogs prompted by the pandemic, funding points and paper-based USCIS processing procedures.
Relying on which USCIS service middle processed the EAD renewal software (Form I-765), timing ranged from about 90 days to greater than a 12 months. Attention-grabbing to notice, it will probably take wherever from 7.5 to 14.5 months to process EADs on the California Service Heart. On the Texas Service Heart, it will probably take two to 13 months.
Picture Credit: Joanna Buniak / Sophie Alcorn (opens in a new window)
Lawsuit prompts massive coverage modifications
Final September, a gaggle of spouse-dependent visa holders filed a class-action lawsuit in opposition to the Secretary of Homeland Safety, who oversees USCIS. The go well with was filed on behalf of dependent spouses of H-1B and L-1 visa holders, lots of whom had been compelled to cease working when USCIS didn’t approve and ship out new EADs earlier than the present ones expired on account of substantial processing delays.
The state of affairs was compounded by the truth that EAD renewals can’t be filed greater than six months upfront of their expiration date.
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