Reduced Validity Periods for Newly Issued Employment Authorization Documents

On Dec. 4, 2025, USCIS decreased the maximum validity period from five years to 18 months for initial and renewal Form I-766, Employment Authorization Documents, (EADs) for the following categories:

Refugees (A03);
Asylees (A05);
Recipients of withholding of removal (A10);
Applicants for asylum or withholding of removal (C08);
Applicants for adjustment of status under INA 245 (C09); and
Applicants for suspension of deportation, cancellation of removal, or relief under the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (C10).

This validity period change applies to any application for employment authorization pending or filed on or after Dec. 5, 2025, and does not affect any EADs for the above categories already issued with a five-year validity period.

H.R.1, Pub. L. 119-21, changed how long initial and renewal parole and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) EADs are valid, and these changes were implemented in a Federal Register notice. Parole and TPS EADs are valid for the shorter of one year or the end date of authorized parole period or duration of TPS. Affected EAD categories include:

Paroled as refugees (A04);
Granted TPS (A12);
Granted parole (C11);
Pending TPS application (C19); and
Spouse of entrepreneur parole (C34).

These parole and TPS changes apply to any application for employment authorization pending or filed on or after July 22, 2025.

Agencies can verify all EAD validity end dates using SAVE. SAVE provides point-in-time immigration verification, including any current immigration status and pending applications.