Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
November 11, 2025
DHS Ends Automatic Work Permit Extensions, Creating New Risks
TLDR
- Employers can gain advantage by implementing proactive EAD tracking systems to maintain workforce continuity and avoid operational disruptions under the new DHS rule.
- The DHS rule requires filing EAD renewal applications up to 180 days before expiration, eliminating automatic extensions for applications filed after October 30, 2025.
- This policy change enhances national security through more rigorous screening while encouraging better immigration planning for individuals seeking stable employment authorization.
- DHS ended automatic work permit extensions, forcing foreign workers to file renewals six months early to avoid employment gaps and immigration complications.
Impact - Why it Matters
This policy change directly impacts hundreds of thousands of foreign workers in the United States, including those on OPT, H-4, L-2, and asylum status who rely on EADs for employment. The elimination of automatic extensions creates immediate risks of employment gaps that could lead to job loss, financial instability, and potential immigration status violations. For employers, this means increased compliance burdens and potential workforce disruptions when key employees face authorization lapses. The change reflects broader trends toward stricter immigration enforcement and requires affected individuals to be more proactive than ever in managing their work authorization timelines, potentially necessitating legal assistance to navigate the complex renewal process successfully.
Summary
The Department of Homeland Security has implemented a major policy shift that eliminates automatic work authorization extensions for employment-authorization document renewal applicants. Under the interim final rule published on October 30, 2025, foreign nationals filing Form I-765 renewal applications on or after that date will no longer receive the automatic extension benefit that previously provided up to 540 days of continued work authorization while their renewal was being processed. This represents a dramatic departure from previous practices where timely filed renewal applications typically maintained work authorization continuity during the adjudication period.
The new rule places significant pressure on both individuals and employers to file renewal applications much earlier—USCIS now recommends filing up to 180 days before current EAD expiration. However, even with early filing, processing delays could still create gaps in work authorization, potentially jeopardizing immigration status and future benefits for those who continue working after their EAD expires. DHS and USCIS justify this change as necessary for enhanced national security and public safety through more rigorous screening, background checks, and vetting procedures before continuing employment authorization. Immigration attorneys are positioned to play a crucial role in helping individuals and businesses navigate these new requirements by developing strategic filing approaches and monitoring renewal timelines.
The Bolour/Carl Immigration Group, led by nationally-recognized attorney Ally Bolour, represents the type of legal expertise that can assist affected individuals and employers in adapting to these significant changes. This boutique immigration law firm with decades of combined experience helps clients worldwide achieve their immigration goals, including maintaining work authorization continuity under the new regulatory framework. The elimination of automatic extensions marks one of the most substantial changes to U.S. work authorization policy in recent years, requiring unprecedented advance planning and proactive management from all stakeholders involved in the employment-based immigration system.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content disributed by 24-7 Press Release. Read the original source here, DHS Ends Automatic Work Permit Extensions, Creating New Risks
