Employment Authorization / Work Cards in the U.S.

By:  Richard Hanus, Esq. Published May 3, 2022 Up until a few years ago, the renewal of Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) for foreign nationals residing in the U.S. was rarely a matter of news or drama.  These days though, EAD holders and their employers are facing way too much challenge when it comes to following the law.  What should be a boring, routine process for our legal immigration system has turned into one that all too often involves  crisis. First, the system is now facing an accumulated backlog of 1.5 million EAD applications.  Additionally, foreign nationals are facing impossibly long processing times – more [...]

By:  Richard Hanus, Esq. Published December 31, 2021 Inch by inch, our government is trying to clean up various messes left behind by the Trump administration when it comes to our nation’s legal immigration system.  Whether it be neglected or poorly managed U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Citizenship and Immigration Services (US DHS/CIS) service centers or understaffed U.S. consular posts abroad, too many aspects of our legal immigration system are now facing monumental, yet avoidable, delays.  Add to the mix a pandemic, and the cracks in our legal immigration system are further amplified, with significant consequences for countless numbers of U.S. employers and the hundreds of thousands [...]

By:  Richard Hanus, Esq. Published November 14, 2021 Next to a U.S. passport, or permanent resident card (“green card”), the Employment Authorization Document is perhaps the most valuable document issued by our immigration authorities.  A valid Employment Authorization Document, or EAD, can make or break a foreign national’s life in the U.S., providing a legal basis to work, obtain a social security number and maintain a driver’s license.  It can also impact the operations of all kinds of businesses and organizations, including the delivery of critical goods and medical services.  Unfortunately, even as a function supported by filing fees, EAD processing continues at [...]

By:  Richard Hanus, Esq. Published June 27, 2021 Undocumented foreign nationals in the U.S. who have been the victim of certain types of crimes have a potent option in the U visa to legalize their status and eventually attain U.S. permanent residence (green card) and even citizenship.  Now that option is even more powerful as a recently announced policy will allow applicants to have a chance to obtain an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) – allowing for lawful employment while waiting out the current 5 year processing backlog. The U visa was created by our Congress in 2000 with the idea that victims [...]