Overview
- The Department of Homeland Security finalized the rule that ended the automatic 540‑day extension of Employment Authorization Documents for renewal applications filed on or after Oct. 30, 2025.
- The rule took effect on Oct. 14, 2026, and for affected filings the I‑797C receipt no longer serves as proof of work authorization when an EAD card has expired.
- USCIS processing delays heighten the impact of the change with about 432,000 pending renewals older than six months and roughly 91,000 pending over a year, creating a real risk that workers will lose legal ability to work while waiting.
- USCIS also put forward a separate proposal to let adjudicators revisit employer I‑129 extension approvals, a move that could lead officers to overturn prior decisions in categories such as H‑1B, L‑1, O, P and related dependent classifications.
- The rule preserves some independently based extensions, such as certain TPS‑linked EADs, and USCIS policy PA‑2026‑15, effective Oct. 23, changes how filing timeliness is calculated for other immigration forms.