Overview
- Renewal applications filed on or after October 30 no longer trigger automatic extensions, while previously granted extensions and those authorized by statute or Federal Register notice remain valid.
- The change affects categories that rely on EADs such as asylum applicants, adjustment-of-status filers, H-4 spouses, and students on OPT, with limited exceptions including certain TPS-related notices and the separate 180‑day STEM OPT extension.
- DHS says the rollback restores more frequent screening and vetting, with officials citing national‑security and fraud‑prevention goals.
- Employers are advised to update Form I‑9 reverification tracking, monitor EAD expirations, and prepare for possible employment‑authorization gaps among affected staff.
- USCIS handles roughly 52,000 EAD renewal filings monthly and processes fewer, a backlog that could drive job interruptions, with Indian nationals widely flagged as particularly exposed due to long green‑card queues.