Overview
- Effective December 5, 2025, the new cap applies to Form I‑765 applications pending or filed on or after that date for refugees, asylees, withholding recipients, pending asylum applicants, pending I‑485 applicants, and certain suspension, cancellation, or NACARA applicants.
- Cards issued before these changes remain valid until the expiration date printed on the EAD.
- Separate rules under H.R. 1 keep parole and Temporary Protected Status categories limited to a maximum one‑year EAD validity for applications pending or filed on or after July 22, 2025.
- DHS and USCIS also ended most 540‑day automatic renewal extensions through an Interim Final Rule effective October 30, 2025.
- Employers and workers now face more frequent renewals, higher filing and processing burdens, greater I‑9 reverification demands, and a heightened risk of temporary work authorization gaps, prompting recommendations to file renewals up to 180 days before expiration.