DHS Announces New Rule to Allow Noncitizen Workers to Keep Jobs Longer While Awaiting Renewals

The rule will allow for automatic work permit extensions of up to 540 days.

Mexican migrant workers load boxes of organic cilantro during the fall harvest at Grant Family Farms in Wellington, Colo., on Oct. 11, 2011. John Moore/Getty Images

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) this week announced a new rule making it easier and more reliable for certain noncitizen workers to keep their jobs while waiting for their work permit renewals to be processed.

Starting Jan. 13, eligible applicants who file for their employment authorization documents (EADs) on time will automatically have their work authorization extended for up to 540 days, nearly three times longer than the previous 180-day maximum. The change will retroactively apply to applications filed on or after May 4, 2022, the agency said.