On December 28, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) has released guidance stating that healthcare workers, who have a pending Employment Authorization Document (EAD) renewal application and whose EAD expires in 30 days or less or has already expired, can now request expedited processing of their pending EAD application. If approved, USCIS will process the EAD application quicker.
To determine whether the applicants are qualifying healthcare workers, please refer to DHS advisory memorandum (“Healthcare/ Public Health” section, Pages 7 to 9) (Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce: Ensuring Community and National Resilience in COVID-19 Response). It is important to note that the applicants should be prepared to provide evidence establishing their professions or current employment as healthcare workers. If the evidence is not sufficient, the USCIS may not accommodate the request for expedited processing.
The request can be made by calling the USCIS contact center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833).
Please reach out to your Greenspoon Marder LLP Immigration & Naturalization Practice Group attorney for any questions or concerns. Click here to stay updated on our weekly alerts.
