On Thursday, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that some immigrant work permits, including those for India, would be extended. A temporary final regulation published by the USCIS automatically prolongs the validity duration of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs). The validity period will increase from 180 days to 540 days as per the new rule, which takes effect on April 8.
TFR extends the period of certain employment authorization documents (EADs)
The temporary modification states that the extended validity period will apply to two groups: those who filed Form I-765 applications on or after October 27, 2023, and whose applications were still pending as of April 8, 2024; and those who will file Form I-765 applications between April 8, 2024, and September 30, 2025.
With this modification, EAD holders who may otherwise lose their employment status on April 24, 2024, won't experience that loss. The temporary rule will allow qualifying immigrants to continue being eligible for employment for an extra 360 days, or until their EADs are renewed.
"Over the last year, the USCIS workforce reduced processing times for most EAD categories, supporting an overall goal to improve work access to eligible individuals," stated USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou about the most recent rule. In a statement issued on Thursday, it stated that it also received a record number of employment authorization applications, impacting its renewal mechanisms.
According to Director Ur M. Jaddou, employment authorization lapses can be prevented by temporarily extending the current automatic extension up to 540 days. In addition, by allowing for public feedback and developing fresh approaches, this rule gives DHS more time to think through long-term solutions and guarantees that noncitizens who are qualified for work permission can continue to receive that benefit.
The statement reads, "DHS has removed or returned over 617,000 individuals from May 12, 2023, to March 13, 2024. The majority of these individuals crossed the Southwest Border, including over 97,000 individual family members. Most of the people who have been spotted at the southwest border in the last three years have either been deported, brought back, or banished. Since mid-May, there have been more removals and returns overall than there have been in any fiscal year since 2011."
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