On October 30, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services published an Interim Final Rule ending the automatic extension of certain employment authorization documents (EAD cards).
Effective immediately, this means that for certain application types, employment authorization (EAD) will not be automatically extended beyond the current EAD end date, while an application for extension is pending at USCIS.
Prior to this Rule, certain EAD applicants could work up to 540 days while their applications for extension were pending.
Action Steps
- Applicants for adjustment of status, and H-4 spouses of adjustment applicants, should pay attention to their EAD end dates and plan to apply for an extension well in advance of their current EAD expiration date, to avoid a gap in employment. Extensions may be filed up to, but no more than, 180 days prior to current EAD expiration.
For a list of all EAD holders who may be impacted by this Rule (such as people with TPS, asylees, refugees), please consult the Rule itself.
Helpful to Know
- Currently valid EAD cards are not immediately affected.
- This change does NOT apply to alumni who have filed timely F-1 STEM OPT Extension Applications with USCIS before the expiration date of their Post-Completion OPT EAD.
If MIT is the sponsor of your permanent residence application, please contact the International Scholars Office (ISchO) with any questions. All other EAD holders should address questions to their immigration attorneys.