The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced an update to their Policy Manual which will increase the validity period for certain categories of Employment Authorization Documents (EAD or Work Permit). These updates are meant to reduce the volume of Form I-765s for renewal, and thus, ideally combat backlogs.
Updates include a new maximum validity period of 5 years (the previous maximum was 2 years) for initial and renewal EADs applying to:
- Noncitizens who are employment authorized incident to status or circumstance.
- This will extend to those granted asylum, withholding of renewal, refugee status, and those paroled as refugees.
- Noncitizens who must apply for EAD.
This includes applicants for withholding of removal, asylum, adjustment of status under INA 245, and the suspension of deportation or cancellation of removal.
Note, that the maintenance of employment authorization will remain dependent on an individual’s underlying status and filing category, and therefore can be terminated before the EAD listed expiration date.
Contact An Employment Immigration Lawyer Regarding These Updates
Those who are applying for an EAD should seek consultation from an immigration lawyer to understand how these updates may impact their application.
Our family-based and employment-based immigration lawyers regularly work with immigrants on their applications, ensuring that they are following the most up-to-date best practices and guidelines. We take pride in our personalized and dedicated approach to handling all immigration matters, securing the most successful outcomes.
To speak with an employment immigration lawyer regarding your EAD or any other immigration concern, fill out our contact form today.
