Expediting Employment Authorization Documents and Advance Parole Travel Documents
Five years ago, USCIS routinely took three months to issue employment authorization documents (EADs) and advance parole (AP) travel documents.
Prior to the pandemic, USCIS was taking approximately six months to issue them. Now, USCIS can take nine months or longer to issue these documents. These delays create huge hardships for organizations and individuals.
The best way to handle these delays is to plan ahead. You may file for an extension up to 180 days prior to the expiration of your EAD and AP. Plan to apply for an extension of the interim benefits the full six months before they expire. If applying for the initial EAD or AP, plan that it will be several months before it is issued and budget, accordingly, taking into account current restrictions on international travel.
Requesting Expedited Processing
If the applicant must be fingerprinted, USCIS will not consider an expedite request until after the applicant has been fingerprinted.
Consequently, it is extremely difficult to expedite first-time
USCIS may expedite the issuance of an EAD or AP in limited, specific circumstances:
- Severe financial loss to a company or person provided that the need for urgent action is not the result of the applicant’s failure:
- to timely file the benefit request;
- to timely respond to any requests for additional evidence.
- Emergencies and urgent humanitarian
- A nonprofit organization (as designated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)) whose request is in furtherance of the cultural and social interests of the United
- U.S. government interests (including urgent cases for federal agencies such as DOD, DOL, DHS, or other public safety or national security interests).
- Clear USCIS interest
- Healthcare worker with a pending EAD
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