The United States has elongated the automatic extension period for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) from 180 days to a maximum of 540 days.

The US revised this to ease delays and ensure continued employment authorization for Nigerians and other foreigners, according to the statement by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

According to USCIS, the review applies to eligible applicants who have timely filed EAD renewal applications on or after October 27, 2023, and those who file between now and September 30, 2025.

USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou emphasised the significance of this scheme in reducing disruptions in employment authorisation for non-citizens awaiting the processing of their EAD renewal applications.

The extended validity period, up to 540 days, provides greater stability for both foreign workers and their employers, promoting workforce continuity.

“Over the last year, the USCIS workforce reduced processing times for most EAD categories, supporting an overall goal to improve work access to eligible individuals.  However, we also received a record number of employment authorization applications, impacting our renewal mechanisms,” Jaddou said. 

“Temporarily lengthening the existing automatic extension up to 540 days will avoid lapses in employment authorizations. At the same time, this rule provides DHS with an additional window to consider long-term solutions by soliciting public comments, and identifying new strategies to ensure those noncitizens eligible for employment authorization can maintain that benefit.”

This TFR was designed to aid USCIS’s ongoing efforts to streamline the work authorisation process and boost access to employment opportunities for authorised individuals in the US.

The extended validity period is expected to also benefit a substantial number of EAD renewal applicants, including asylum seekers and Temporary Protected Status holders. 

It was disclosed that the initiative has the capacity to positively impact nearly 800,000 individuals and their respective employers.