Holiday Travel Reminders

Munsch Hardt’s Immigration Team wishes you a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year! Below are a few reminders and safety tips for your upcoming holiday travel:

1. Be Prepared: Check your passport and visa validity before a trip. If you are traveling abroad, make sure you have proper documentation to enter the country of your destination and return to the U.S., and have any necessary transit visas for your flight “stopovers.”
2. Plan Ahead: In addition to valid original travel documents for yourself and each family member, be sure to have copies of all of these documents in a safe place, apart from the originals. If your documents are lost or stolen, having these copies would help save time when obtaining duplicates.
3. Check Consular Schedules: If your travel plans include consular visa appointments, check consular schedules in advance of your travel and print out and take with you all appointment confirmation documentation, including attorney-certified visa petition copies, and anything else the particular consulate requires.

A Bit of Holiday Cheer from the Department of Homeland Security 

Automatic Extension Period for Employment Authorization Documents to be Permanently Increased

Effective December 13th, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) will permanently increase the automatic extension period for Employment Authorization Documents (“EADs”) from 180 days to up to 540 days, allowing certain renewal applicants who timely file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization to enjoy continued validity of their employment authorization. This change comes as USCIS continues its backlog reduction efforts and seeks to ensure the stability and continuity of operations for U.S. employers and their workforce as a result of any processing delays from sporadic spikes in EAD filings or other unanticipated circumstances. 

Since the promulgation of the 180-day automatic extension period in 2016, the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) has issued two (2) temporary rules to temporarily increase the automatic extension period of EADs. To provide long-term predictability and increase job stability for EAD renewal applicants, DHS is finalizing the recent temporary rule to help minimize gaps in employment authorization and EAD validity as a result of lengthy USCIS processing times. Continue to monitor Immigration Insights for the latest developments related to the implementation of DHS’s final rule. 

We hope you take care, stay safe, and have a great time with friends and family!