An EAD is required by individuals in the United States who are not US citizens or lawful permanent residents but seek legal permission to work during their stay.
Published Oct 30, 2025 | 6:02 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 30, 2025 | 6:02 PM
Green card holders and high-skilled workers in the US on employment visas do not require an EAD.
Synopsis: The United States has ended the automatic 180-day extension of Employment Authorisation Documents for noncitizens, effective 30 October. Under the new rule, applicants must wait for their renewals to be fully processed before continuing employment, with only limited exceptions. The change is expected to particularly affect dependants of green card holders and professionals on work visas such as the H-1B.
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a new interim policy ending the automatic extension of Employment Authorisation Documents (EADs).
The rule, which takes effect on Thursday, 30 October, will require noncitizens filing EAD renewal applications on or after that date to no longer receive an automatic 180-day extension of their employment authorisation while the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) processes their renewal.
There are limited exceptions, including extensions required by law or those issued through Federal Register notices for Temporary Protected Status (TPS)-related employment documentation.
EADs that were automatically extended before 30 October will remain valid under the earlier regulations.
An EAD is required by individuals in the United States who are not US citizens or lawful permanent residents (green card holders) but seek legal permission to work during their stay.
Green card holders and high-skilled workers in the US on employment visas such as H-1B, L-1, O-1 and P-1 do not require an EAD.
The change, however, is likely to affect dependants of H-1B visa holders (H-4 spouses), as well as those on E, L, J and K dependant visas, who rely on EADs to work.
“USCIS recommends aliens seek a timely renewal of their EAD by properly filing a renewal application up to 180 days before their EAD expires. The longer an alien waits to file an EAD renewal application, the more likely it is that they may experience a temporary lapse in their employment authorization or documentation,” the department said in a press statement on Wednesday.
DHS stated that the new approach would result in “more frequent vetting” of foreign nationals and “enable USCIS to deter fraud and detect aliens with potentially harmful intent so they can be processed for removal from the United States.”
“USCIS is placing a renewed emphasis on robust alien screening and vetting, eliminating policies the former administration implemented that prioritised aliens’ convenience ahead of Americans’ safety and security,” USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said in the statement.
“It’s a commonsense measure to ensure appropriate vetting and screening has been completed before an alien’s employment authorisation or documentation is extended. All aliens must remember that working in the United States is a privilege, not a right.”
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
