The Biden administration recently announced an extension of work permits for certain immigration categories. This important measure is estimated to have prevented lapses in work authorization for nearly 800,000 individuals.
Previously, immigrants facing a renewal backlog risked losing their ability to work legally when their Employment Authorization Documents (EADs), commonly known as work permits, expired. To address this issue, USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) issued a temporary rule on April 4, 2024. This rule significantly increases the validity period of EADs from 180 days to 540 days and goes into effect on April 8, 2024.
The 18-month work permit extension most impacts two groups: asylum seekers and foreign nationals who are adjusting their status to lawful permanent residents.
This extension provides much-needed relief for immigrants who are essential workers in various industries. It also helps ensure continuity for businesses that rely on their skills and labor. While it’s a temporary solution, it gives USCIS more time to process the backlog of applications and prevents disruptions for both workers and employers.
“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,” USCIS Director Ur Jaddou said. “However, we also received a record number of employment authorization applications, impacting our renewal mechanisms.”
USCIS has announced it is committed to reducing the historic backlog of immigration applications and increasing its processing capacity. This is the 2nd time the Biden administration authorized an extension to 540 days. The first extension in 2022 ended on October 27, 2023, when automatic extensions reverted to 180 days.
If you have questions about immigration or your status, contact the experienced immigration attorneys at Godoy Law Office in Illinois. Please contact our office or call us at 630-345-4164.
AREAS WE SERVE: Godoy Law Office Immigration Lawyers helps clients in all 50 states and has 4 offices in the Chicago, Illinois area.
Immigration Attorney Mario Godoy has years of experience guiding clients with immigration issues through the immigration process along with guiding clients through the criminal case. Godoy focuses on family-based immigration law, business immigration law, removal defense, and criminal defense representation of immigrants. A criminal charge or conviction can be devastating to your immigration case. With over a decade of immigration law experience and memories of family members who were deported due to bad legal advice, Godoy is committed to helping other immigrant families receive the legal justice they deserve. As a legal entrepreneur who practices immigration law, criminal law, estate and probate law, and running two successful law firms, Mario Godoy understands the importance of keeping families together and making a home and future in America.
