Five years ago, USCIS took an average of three months to issue employment authorization documents (EADs) and advance parole (AP) travel documents; today, it can take nine months or longer for the agency to issue the documents. Understandably, these delays can create significant hardships for those waiting on their documentation.
For this reason, it’s recommended you plan ahead. To get in front of the delays, consider applying for an extension of the interim benefits a full six months (180 days) before your EAD or AP expires. If you’re applying for the initial EAD or AP, plan on it taking several months to be issued; during this time, make sure to budget accordingly while taking any current international travel restrictions into account.

Who Qualifies for Expedited Processing?

USCIS may expedite the issuing of EAD or AP documentation in limited specific circumstances. These include:

• If the delay would cause severe financial loss to a company or individual, provided the expedited request isn’t a result of:
  •  The applicant’s failure to file the benefit request on time, or
  •  The applicant’s failure to provide additional requested information in a timely manner
• Emergencies and urgent humanitarian reasons
• A nonprofit organization (as designated by the Internal Revenue Service) requests expedited processing to further the cultural and social interests of the United States
• U.S. government interests (including urgent cases for federal agencies, like the
• U.S. Department of Defense or other public safety and national security interests)
• Obvious USCIS errors
• Healthcare workers who have a pending EAD renewal

Additional Considerations for Expedited Processing of EADs & AP

First-time requests are extremely difficult to get expedited.
When applying for expedited processing, the request must be clearly explained and supported with applicable documentation. If the request is vague or shows an ordinary outcome (loss of income, for example) it’s less likely to be honored; even strongly compelling cases may not be honored. USCIS may deny expedite requests if it believes there’s a more viable alternative for the applicant or if it feels an organization is making an excessive amount of requests.

USCIS is also more likely to approve requests for expedited processing by school districts or federal government agencies than it would with situations involving severe financial loss or urgent humanitarian reasons. In addition, the agency is more likely to honor requests from nonprofit organizations that have a clear and easily understood mission that provides value to the public.

It’s important to note that USCIS will not consider expedite requests for applicants who are required to be fingerprinted until after they’ve gone through the fingerprinting process. Keep in mind that even if USCIS approves expedited processing for your case, it will still take several weeks for the documents to be issued and at least a month to receive an interim document.

For more information on expedited processing, or to discuss the specifics of your case, please call Ranchod Law Group at 916-613-3553 or email us at info@ranchodlaw.com.