Work Permit Expired? You’re Still Legal to Work — Here’s Why If you’ve filed to renew your work permit before it expires, and you have the receipt notice from USCIS, you’re automatically authorized to work for up to 540 days — that’s nearly 18 months of legal work status! So if your permit expired on January 1st but you applied for renewal in time, you're good to go until well into the next year. And if your employer tries to fire you? That’s illegal. Tell them: “I’m authorized to work under 8 C