The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have proposed new regulations that could significantly extend the wait time for asylum seekers to obtain employment authorization in the United States. If enacted, these changes would require asylum seekers to wait 365 days before applying for their initial Employment Authorization Document (EAD).
Key Details:
- Proposed wait time for initial EAD application: 365 days
- New mechanism to pause EAD application acceptance when affirmative asylum processing times exceed a certain threshold
- Lengthened timeline for government adjudication of EAD applications
- Public comment period: 60 days following Federal Register publication
These proposed changes may lead to longer and less predictable wait times for asylum seekers seeking to work legally in the U.S. Need help with your immigration case? Visit QuickFiling.us for professional immigration services.
Source: Olga Guzhva, JD, LLM