Relief for 7 H-1B spouses as court halts rule ending automatic work permit extensions

A US district court has set aside an interim final rule issued by the Trump administration in Oct 2025 that ended automatic extensions of employment authorisation documents (EADs). However, the relief is limited only to the seven plaintiffs who had challenged the rule and does not apply nationwide.TOI had earlier reported that seven H-4 visa holders (spouses of H-1B professionals with approved green card applications) had approached the district court, arguing that the abrupt withdrawal of automatic EAD extensions, without public consultation, could lead to widespread job losses amid chronic processing delays at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).More than a lakh Indian spouses, largely women, hold EADs. A 2016 rule introduced automatic extensions of up to 180 days beyond the expiry of an EAD, allowing eligible spouses to continue working while their renewal applications were processed.