Expedited EAD Renewal Applications for Healthcare Workers

Employment Authorization Documents for Healthcare Workers

Foreign nationals who are working as healthcare workers in the United States and who have a pending Employment Authorization Document (EAD) renewal application may request that their renewal application be processed quicker. Healthcare workers in the United States who have an expired EAD or an EAD that will expire in 30 days or less are encouraged to contact the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to request that their renewal application processing be expedited.

The aim of this requested expedited processing is to help combat the major backlog of EAD renewal applications that the USCIS has been burdened with since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Longer waiting time for renewal applications to be processed has often resulted in many individuals who work in a critical role losing their jobs as a result of their work permits expiring while they wait for renewal.

In a tweet, the director of the USCIS Ur M. Jaddou stated this requested expediting will help healthcare workers already hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic to “continue to provide critical healthcare services to support our national response to the COVID and care for those most in need”.

How to Expedite your Employment Authorization Document as a Healthcare Worker in the United States

If you are a healthcare worker in the United States who would like to request that your EAD renewal application be expedited, you can call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833). All healthcare workers must be able to provide evidence of their employment to request expedited processing along with evidence of their EAD renewal application which may include a receipt number and/or a copy of their filed and pending Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization).

It should be noted that if approved for expedited processing, the EAD is guaranteed to be processed faster but not guaranteed to be automatically approved.

Who qualifies for this request?

This request will be granted to healthcare workers who have a pending EAD renewal application and whose current work permit has already expired or will expire in 30 days or less. Healthcare workers wishing to make this request may include the following professions:

• Physicians
• Dentists
• Psychologists
• Mid-level practitioners
• Nurses
• Emergency Medical Services personnel
• Medical assistants and aids
• Infection control and quality assurance personnel
• Phlebotomists
• Pharmacists
• Physical, Respirator, Speech and Occupation Therapists and Assistants
• Social Workers
• Optometrists
• Speech Pathologists
• Chiropractors
• Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technicians
• Radiology Technologists

For more information regarding what is classified as a qualifying healthcare worker, consult the DHS advisory memorandum.