WASHINGTON – The US government has provided major relief to the immigrants as it extended the validity of specific work permits.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) unveiled a temporary final rule (TFR) to make work permits more accessible to immigrants, building upon recent efforts to modernize immigration processes, particularly regarding eligibility for employment authorization documents (EADs).
Under the new rule, being widely hailed by the immigrants, the automatic 180-day period for certain EADs will be extended to 540 days, aiming to maintain continuity for both immigrants and US employers.
Commenting on the initiative unveiled on Thursday, USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. said that temporarily lengthening the existing automatic extension up to 540 days will avoid lapses in employment authorizations.
‘At the same time, this rule provides DHS (Department of Homeland Security) with an additional window to consider long-term solutions by soliciting public comments, and identifying new strategies to ensure those noncitizens eligible for employment authorization can maintain that benefit,’ he said.
It is to be clarified that the fresh changes announced will primarily benefit asylum seekers and foreign nationals seeking permanent residency.
‘This temporary measure will apply to eligible applicants who timely and properly filed an EAD renewal application on or after Oct. 27, 2023, if the application is still pending on the date of publication in the Federal Register. The temporary final rule will also apply to eligible EAD renewal applicants who timely and properly file their Form I-765 application during a 540-day period that begins with the rule’s publication in the Federal Register,’ read a statement posted by USCIS on its website.
A USCIS spokesperson highlighted that approximately 800,000 immigrants faced the risk of job loss and the potential expiry of their work permits and the latest decision would facilitate them.
This is the second time that the Biden administration has extended the period to 540 days. The initial extension, declared in 2022, concluded on October 27, 2023, reverting automatic extensions back to 180 days. The latest extension encompasses all immigrant categories covered by the 2022 extension.
