USCIS reduces bureaucratic burden for some immigrants

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) made a small but positive change in granting work permits for certain immigrants in the U.S. on humanitarian grounds.  USCIS extended the validity of work permits, known as EADs, from one year to two years for applicants who were admitted as refugees, granted asylum, granted withholding of deportation or removal, or have protection under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). For applicants paroled into the U.S. for humanitarian reasons or granted deferred action (other than DACA), USCIS will also grant new and renewed EADs for the length of the parole or deferred action period.  The change went into effect on February 7, 2022.  The longer validity of work permits will reduce the anxiety of having to reapply annually for renewals and also the cost, for those categories where fees apply.