Trump Admin Makes Abrupt Change to Thousands of Immigrant Work Permits

Source: Newsweek

Published Oct 29, 2025 at 10:40 AM EDT updated Oct 29, 2025 at 01:07 PM EDT


The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is moving to end the automatic extension of certain immigrant work permits, even if they have filed their new paperwork on time.

In a Federal Register filing Wednesday, the department said that it intended to cancel the current 540-day buffer given to refugees, asylees and spouses of certain other visa holders when they file for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) renewal, as well as green-card applicants.

DHS said it was making the move to ensure national security, but admitted this could leave some immigrants out of work.

"If USCIS [United States Citizenship and Immigration Services] is so worried about security, rather than abruptly ending the automatic extension, they could rededicate themselves to efficient processing," Elissa Taub, an immigration attorney with Siskind Susser in Memphis, Tennessee, told Newsweek.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/uscis-ending-work-authorization-ead-automatic-extensions-10958565