DHS Moves to End Automatic Extension of Noncitizens’ Work Authorization

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (October 29, 2025) - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced that it intends to end automatic work permit extensions for certain noncitizens beginning on October 30, 2025.

The DHS’s interim final rule eliminates the automatic 540-day extension of certain Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) for noncitizens who had timely filed an application to renew their EAD.

The rule applies to individuals who file to renew their EAD on or after October 30, 2025, but will not affect EADs that were automatically extended before that date. There are limited exceptions to the rule, including extensions for noncitizens through the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program and other extensions provided for by law.

In announcing the interim final rule, DHS said that reviewing noncitizens’ background “more often will enable U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to deter fraud and detect aliens with potentially harmful intent so they can be processed for removal from the United States.”

USCIS recommended that, to avoid any temporary lapse in their employment authorization or documentation, noncitizens seek a timely renewal of their EAD by properly filing a renewal application up to 180 days before the EAD is set to expire.

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