On October 2, 2026, USCIS published a technical update to Volume 10, Part A, Chapter 4 of the Policy Manual, the chapter that governs how USCIS issues the work permit (Form I-766, known as the EAD). The update refines the language on automatic EAD extensions and adds category (c)(40) to the validity table: the one for people with a pending T nonimmigrant status application (Form I-914), for victims of human trafficking. That process usually relies on documents from another country, and many of them arrive in another language.
What USCIS says
The technical update changes Chapter 4 of the Policy Manual in two ways. First, it refines the language on when a work permit gets extended automatically while USCIS reviews a renewal. The chapter itself puts it this way: “Aliens in certain employment eligibility categories who filed Form I-765 before October 30, 2025, to timely renew their EADs may have received automatic extensions of their expiring employment authorization or expiring EAD (or both).”
Second, it adds category (c)(40) to the EAD validity table: someone with a pending, bona fide application for T nonimmigrant status can receive a permit with up to 4 years of initial validity and another 4 years on renewal. Before this update, that category didn’t appear in the table with that level of detail.
When it takes effect
The update was published on October 2, 2026. The source doesn’t give a separate effective date, so it runs from that publication date.
Don’t confuse two dates here. October 30, 2025 isn’t the date of this update: it’s the pre-existing cutoff for automatic extensions on certain EAD renewals, and the October 2026 update only clarifies that language, it doesn’t change it. In other words, if a renewal was filed before that 2025 date, the automatic-extension rule that applied to it is unchanged. What changed on October 2, 2026, is how the chapter describes it, and that category (c)(40) is now written into the table with its own timeline.
Who this affects
This update mainly affects two groups. The first is anyone with a pending, bona fide Form I-914: if USCIS grants work authorization under category (c)(40), that EAD can run up to 4 years, both on the initial grant and on renewal, while the I-914 is still pending.
The second group is anyone who filed Form I-765 to renew an EAD before October 30, 2025, under one of the eligible categories: the language describing that automatic extension is what the October 2026 update clarifies, even though the underlying benefit isn’t new.
If your EAD doesn’t fall into either group, this update doesn’t change your category or your validity period.
What to do
Before assuming anything changed for your case, check the category printed on your Form I-766: it shows as a code in parentheses, for example (c)(9) or (c)(40). That category, not the date of this update, is what determines the validity period.
If you have a pending Form I-914 and your most recent EAD doesn’t show category (c)(40), it’s worth reviewing the Policy Manual chapter directly or asking about your specific case; this article doesn’t replace that review.
This update is a language clarification and a table addition, not a new form or a new filing requirement. If an EAD is close to expiring, the normal renewal process for that category still applies, with enough lead time before the expiration date.
If you need translations
The same chapter notes that, to approve Form I-765, USCIS asks for evidence that varies by category: among the examples it lists are visas, the arrival-departure record, documents that establish a qualifying relationship, and documents from a related pending or approved application.
When that relationship document comes from another country and in another language, like a divorce decree showing a prior marriage already ended, it needs a complete English translation under 8 CFR § 103.2(b)(3). For anyone in that situation with a Venezuelan document, our guide to the Venezuelan divorce decree covers what to request before translating it.
The same applies to Form I-914 filers: trafficking evidence that arrives from the home country, if it’s in another language, also needs a complete translation before it’s submitted.
Before filing anything tied to your EAD, confirm three things: the exact category printed on your document, whether your process depends on a deadline that distinguishes paper filings from online filings, and whether any supporting document arrived in another language. A complete translation doesn’t change the outcome of your case, but it makes sure USCIS can read every page you submit. Jorge Cardona, a professional Spanish-English translator, signs every certificate of accuracy, and a second person reviews the translation before delivery.
Sources
- USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 10, Part A, Chapter 4: Adjudication, technical update of October 2, 2026.
Legal disclaimer
Fidelis Certified Translations is an independent translation service, not affiliated with USCIS or any U.S. government agency. This content is for information only and is not legal advice. For your case, talk to an immigration attorney.