2026 Employment Authorization Reform: USCIS Proposes Rule Change Under DHS Docket USCIS-2025-0370

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has opened a comment period on a proposed rulemaking under Docket No. USCIS-2025-0370, titled 'Employment Authorization Reform.' This regulatory action targets employment authorization procedures, potentially affecting how and when certain immigrant categories — including those transitioning from asylum to employment-based status — may obtain work permits. While the primary focus of the proposed rule appears to be on asylum-based employment authorization, any changes to USCIS's Employment Authorization Document (EAD) processing framework may have downstream effects on EB-3 applicants awaiting adjustment of status or those with concurrent filings. Applicants are encouraged to monitor the Federal Register for comment deadlines and submit public comments if affected. The Immigration Daily issue also references a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on Malaysia, which may relate to bilateral immigration or labor migration trends — an area of interest for EB-3 unskilled worker pipelines that often draw from Southeast Asian labor markets. EB-3 practitioners and applicants should track this proposed rulemaking closely. Changes to employment authorization rules can affect work permit issuance timelines and eligibility windows during long green card backlogs, particularly for nationals from high-demand countries awaiting priority date movement.