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Work Permits for Asylum Seekers Now Valid Longer
Newark, NJ- If you are an asylum seeker and are granted work authorization, your work permit will be valid longer after a recent rule change. On October 5th, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that work permits for asylum applicants will now be valid for two years instead of one year. This new rule is good news for immigrants and will save asylum seekers and USCIS money, time and stress.
Asylum applicants can wait two or more years before the USCIS decides their case, so some asylum seekers are granted work authorization while their applications are pending. Before the USCIS announcement, asylum applicants would have to go through the process of applying for a work permit every year. Now, the rule change gives asylum seekers work authorization for two years, saving them the time and cost of applying every year.
Immigrants who are waiting for an asylum decision must file a Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. Typically, the USCIS will issue a decision about your work permit within 90 days after submitting your application. If 150 days have passed without a decision on your asylum application, you can apply for work authorization, which should be granted to you after an 180-day waiting period.
As an asylum applicant, you are not required to pay a filing fee for your initial Employment Authorization Document (EAD) or work permit. However, you must pay a $380 filing fee each time you renew your EAD. The USCIS’s decision to extend work authorization will add up to significant savings for an immigrant and save them from having to go through the application process every year.
The decision to extend work authorization for an additional year is not just good news for asylum applicants; it will also be beneficial to U.S. immigration agencies. The U.S. immigration system is overwhelmed with visa, green card, and citizenship applications. This rule change means immigration agencies will have fewer work permit applications to process each year.
If you are denied a work permit, you cannot appeal the decision, but you can ask that your request is reopened. You should consult with an immigration attorney if you need to have your application for a work permit renewed.
Asylum applicants can wait months, perhaps years before their application is reviewed or approved, so they need to be sure that every application is filled out correctly and accurately. If you are seeking asylum, work authorization or another immigration benefit in Newark or another area in the state of New Jersey, contact my office, and we can discuss your case.
If you are an immigrant in Elizabeth, Jersey City or Newark, call my office at 973-453-2009 and make an appointment to discuss your asylum, visa, green card or citizenship application. For your case to be successful, your applications must be accurate and submitted on time. Otherwise, you could experience delays in the application process. I understand U.S. immigration laws and will use that knowledge to help you gain the status you are seeking.
