On December 4, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has updated its
Policy Manual to reduce the maximum validity period for Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) for certain categories of foreign nationals. This update also incorporates changes to EAD validity periods made by recent legislation.
According to a USCIS press release on the announcement, the reduced maximum validity periods for certain categories will result in more frequent vetting of foreign nationals who apply for authorization to work in the United States.
The maximum validity period for initial and renewal EADs will be changed from 5 years back to 18 months for several categories of foreign nationals:
- Admitted as refugees;
- Granted asylum;
- Granted withholding of deportation or removal;
- Pending applications for asylum or withholding of removal;
- Pending applications for adjustment of status under INA 245; and
- Pending applications for suspension of deportation, cancellation of removal, or relief under the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act.
This change affects foreign nationals with applications for employment authorization that are pending or filed on or after Dec. 5, 2025, and based on any of the above categories. The USCIS update also included information on changes required in H.R. 1 – the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on July 4, 2025. More details can be found on the USCIS site here.