Overview
- Renewal requests filed on or after October 30, 2025 no longer carry the up-to-540-day automatic extension, so work must pause if the current EAD expires before approval.
- Applications filed before October 30 remain under the prior automatic-extension policy, with limited exceptions preserved by statute or specific TPS notices.
- USCIS advises filing Form I-765 up to 180 days before expiration to reduce the risk of gaps in employment authorization.
- Employers must update verification practices because post–October 30 renewal receipts (Form I-797C) are no longer acceptable as proof of work authorization.
- The change touches many EAD-reliant groups, including refugees, asylees, green card applicants, spouses of E/H/L visa holders, certain TPS and VAWA beneficiaries, and some COFA citizens, with roughly 49,000 renewals processed monthly at potential risk of temporary interruptions.