On September 27, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the maximum periods for certain work permits were being extended from one or two years to five. This update only applies to asylees/refugees, people granted withholding of removal, people with pending green card applications (I-495) under INA 245, people paroled as refugees, and people seeking suspension of deportation or cancellation of removal. Any I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, filed on or after September 27, 2023 will have a maximum validity of five years.

USCIS has extended the maximum validity of these work permits to benefit both applicants and USCIS. Five-year work permits are now being issued and if you fall into one of the above-mentioned categories, you may also receive a five-year work permit.

Please note that while many people will receive work permits with a five-year validity, this is the maximum period a work permit may be issued for and does not require that USCIS actually issue a work permit that is valid for five years. Additionally, for people who are paroled into the United States as refugees, the work permits will be issued for the validity period of parole, up to a maximum of five years.