Employment Authorization Update: Validity Period

On June 09, 2021 the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it will increase the validity period of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) on both initial and renewal EADs from one-year validity to two years for certain adjustment of status applicants.

USCIS had previously limited the validity period for employment authorization based on a pending adjustment application to 1 year. However, the processing time of adjustment applications can exceed 1 year causing an increased need for applicants to renew EADs. Renewing EADs in this category is generally free, and USCIS received nearly 370,000 adjustment-related employment authorization requests in fiscal year 2020. This increase in renewal EADs applications burdens the USCIS.

Increasing the validity period on EADs for certain adjustment applicants is expected to reduce the number of employment authorization requests USCIS receives and allow the agency to shift limited resources to other priority areas.