The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will make permanent the automatic work authorization extension of up to 540 days for certain applicants renewing their Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Previously, this extension was temporary, first increased from 180 days to 540 days in May 2022 for renewal applications filed before October 26, 2023, and then extended again for applications filed before September 30, 2025. A new regulation, set to be published on December 13, 2024, and effective January 13, 2025, will make the 540-day extension permanent for eligible EAD renewal applicants. This is a positive step, as codifying the extension into regulations will make it harder for future administrations to reduce it. Without this increased automatic extension, delays in EAD processing could increase the risk of gaps in employment authorization for pending EAD extensions.