On June 9th, Secretary Department of Homeland gave a state of immigration address.   Among the highlights, Secretary Chertoff announced the Department of Homeland Security will be extending the validity period of the employment authorization documents (EAD) for individuals who are waiting to adjust status (AOS) to become lawful permanent residents (LPR) aka "green card" recipients.   

Previously, AOS applicants were issued EADs for one year.  Beginning June 30, Department of Homeland Security USCIS will issue EADs with a two-year validity period for individuals who are AOS if their application is expected to be pending for more than a year.

This will save many people additional fees for work authorization documents.  Further, this will reduce the stress individuals have to endure while waiting for processing that can seem to take a lifetime.  Thank you to the Department of Homeland Security for making some improvements in the system!