USCIS announced a temporary final rule to increase the maximum automatic extension period for certain Employment Authorization Document (EAD) renewal applicants from 180 days to 540 days. The rule aims to prevent those with pending EAD renewal applications from having their work authorization lapse while waiting for USCIS to adjudicate their application. The new automatic extension will apply to certain eligible applicants who filed an EAD renewal application on or after October 27, 2023, if their application is still pending on the rule’s publication date, scheduled for April 8, 2024.
Read MoreUSCIS Reports Significant EAD and Green Card Printing Delays & Permits Use of Approval Notices for I-9 Purposes in Certain Instances
In June the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) ended its contract with an external vendor responsible for printing Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) and Lawful Permanent Resident Cards (“Green Cards”) in an effort to hire federal employees to replace these outside contractors. However, given USCIS’s massive budget deficit, which may result in 70% of its workforce being furloughed if it does not receive a Congressional bailout, they are currently subject to a hiring freeze, which has significantly reduced it’s capacity to print these documents.
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