On Tuesday, May 3, 2022, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS) announced a Temporary Final Rule (TFR) that
increases the automatic extension period for certain Employment
Authorization Documents (EADs) for up to 540 days. The increase
will take effect on May 4, 2022. This rule was issued to help avoid
gaps in employment for noncitizens with pending EAD renewal
applications and stabilize the continuity of operations for U.S.
employers.
The TFR, which only applies to those EAD categories currently
eligible for an automatic extension of up to 180 days, will
temporarily provide up to an additional 360 days of extension time
(for a total of up to 540 days). USCIS is offering this benefit as
it attempts to work through pending caseloads exacerbated by the
COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning October 27, 2023, automatic extensions
of employment authorization and EAD validity will revert to the up
to 180-day period for those eligible applicants who timely file
Form
