The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on December 13 published a final rule that permanently increases the automatic extension period of employment authorization and employment authorization documentation (EAD) for certain eligible noncitizens who file a timely request to renew their work authorization. The rule, effective January 13, 2025, builds on temporary rules issued in 2022 and 2024 and applies to specific, designated categories of individuals who require EAD to work legally in the U.S., including asylum recipients and applicants among others, as detailed on this USCIS webpage.

For those who qualify, eligible noncitizens’ employment authorization and employment authorization documentation increase from up to 180 days to up to 540 days. 

The rule is a continuation of efforts by USCIS to acknowledge and address processing delays within the workplace immigration system, which create unpredictability and challenges for employers and workers alike. “This final rule will help U.S. employers better retain their workers and help prevent workers with timely-filed EAD renewal applications from experiencing lapses in their employment authorization and employment authorization documentation through no fault of their own,” USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou said in a statement.

Follow the latest on policy related to foreign-born workers’ via our Pathways for Foreign-Born Workers serial post.