On December 4, 2025, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced significant changes to its screening and vetting procedures for noncitizens seeking work authorization in the U.S. The updates include significantly reduced validity periods for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) and increased review of applicants.  

Key Changes: 

EAD Validity Reduced for Several Categories 

Effective December 5, 2025, USCIS will reduce the maximum validity period for initial and renewal EADs from 5 years to 18 months for applicants in the following categories with EAD applications pending or filed on or after December 5, 2025: 

• Refugees; 
• Asylees; 
• Individuals granted withholding of deportation or removal; 
• Applicants with pending asylum or withholding of removal applications; 
• Applicants with pending adjustment of status applications under INA §245; or 
• Applicants with pending applications for suspension of deportation, cancellation of removal, or relief under the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA). 

USCIS contends that shorter validity periods will allow for more frequent vetting of noncitizens, aiding fraud detection and identification of individuals who may pose security concerns.  

Changes Required by the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (H.R. 1) 

For certain humanitarian and parole categories, EAD validity will be either one year or until the end of the parole or Temporary Protected Status (TPS) period – whichever is shorter. These changes apply to the following groups of individuals who have filed Form I-765 applications on or after July 22, 2025: 

• Paroled refugees; 
• TPS beneficiaries; 
• Individuals granted parole; 
• Individuals with pending TPS applications; and 
• Spouses of entrepreneurs granted parole. 

Employers should proactively review upcoming EAD renewals and adjust timelines accordingly to ensure compliance with new validity periods when planning employment authorization strategies. With filing volumes continuing to rise, overall adjudication times are likely to increase. Therefore, it is more critical than ever to submit renewal applications at the earliest possible opportunity to minimize disruptions in work authorization. 

For those who wish to learn more about how these changes may impact them, please reach out to a Foster LLP attorney to schedule a consultation. Foster LLP will continue to monitor updates from USCIS and provide additional guidance and updates once they become available via our firm’s website at www.fosterglobal.com.