diff --git a/src/app/core/data/item-request-data.service.ts b/src/app/core/data/item-request-data.service.ts
index db6221572f..351c96a70d 100644
--- a/src/app/core/data/item-request-data.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/data/item-request-data.service.ts
@@ -211,11 +211,10 @@ export class ItemRequestDataService extends IdentifiableDataService<ItemRequest>
    * if the 'send secure link' feature is configured.
    * Expects integer values, conversion to number is done in this processing
    */
-  getConfiguredAccessPeriods(): Observable<number[]> {
+  getConfiguredAccessPeriods(): Observable<string[]> {
     return this.configService.findByPropertyName('request.item.grant.link.period').pipe(
       getFirstCompletedRemoteData(),
       map((propertyRD: RemoteData<ConfigurationProperty>) => propertyRD.hasSucceeded ? propertyRD.payload.values : []),
-      map((values) => values.map(value => parseInt(value, 10))),
     );
   }
 
diff --git a/src/app/core/shared/item-request.model.ts b/src/app/core/shared/item-request.model.ts
index 8fa3398d24..06d4423ea1 100644
--- a/src/app/core/shared/item-request.model.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/shared/item-request.model.ts
@@ -86,10 +86,10 @@ export class ItemRequest implements CacheableObject {
   @autoserialize
   accessToken: string;
   /**
-   * Access period of the request
+   * Access expiry date of the request
    */
   @autoserialize
-  accessPeriod: number;
+  accessExpiry: string;
 
   /**
    * The {@link HALLink}s for this ItemRequest
diff --git a/src/app/request-copy/email-request-copy/email-request-copy.component.spec.ts b/src/app/request-copy/email-request-copy/email-request-copy.component.spec.ts
index 676f987c0f..9fa32be58b 100644
--- a/src/app/request-copy/email-request-copy/email-request-copy.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/request-copy/email-request-copy/email-request-copy.component.spec.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ describe('EmailRequestCopyComponent', () => {
     spyOn(component.send, 'emit').and.stub();
     component.subject = 'test-subject';
     component.message = 'test-message';
-    component.validAccessPeriods = [0];
+    component.validAccessPeriods = ['FOREVER'];
     component.submit();
     expect(component.send.emit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(new RequestCopyEmail('test-subject', 'test-message'));
   });
diff --git a/src/app/request-copy/email-request-copy/email-request-copy.component.ts b/src/app/request-copy/email-request-copy/email-request-copy.component.ts
index bb455f7fca..e427996080 100644
--- a/src/app/request-copy/email-request-copy/email-request-copy.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/request-copy/email-request-copy/email-request-copy.component.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export class EmailRequestCopyComponent implements OnInit {
    * Event emitter for sending the email
    */
   @Output() send: EventEmitter<RequestCopyEmail> = new EventEmitter<RequestCopyEmail>();
-  @Output() selectedAccessPeriod: EventEmitter<number> = new EventEmitter();
+  @Output() selectedAccessPeriod: EventEmitter<string> = new EventEmitter();
 
   /**
    * The subject of the email
@@ -49,12 +49,13 @@ export class EmailRequestCopyComponent implements OnInit {
   /**
    * A list of valid access periods to render in a drop-down menu
    */
-  @Input() validAccessPeriods: number[] = [];
+  @Input() validAccessPeriods: string [] = [];
 
   /**
-   * The selected access period
+   * The selected access period, e.g. +7DAYS, +12MONTHS, FOREVER. These will be
+   * calculated as a timestamp to store as the access expiry date for the requested item
    */
-  accessPeriod = 0;
+  accessPeriod = 'FOREVER';
 
   protected readonly hasValue = hasValue;
 
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ export class EmailRequestCopyComponent implements OnInit {
    * Update the access period when a dropdown menu button is clicked for a value
    * @param accessPeriod
    */
-  selectAccessPeriod(accessPeriod: number) {
+  selectAccessPeriod(accessPeriod: string) {
     this.accessPeriod = accessPeriod;
     this.selectedAccessPeriod.emit(accessPeriod);
   }
diff --git a/src/app/request-copy/grant-request-copy/grant-request-copy.component.ts b/src/app/request-copy/grant-request-copy/grant-request-copy.component.ts
index 597e55e23f..79519341aa 100644
--- a/src/app/request-copy/grant-request-copy/grant-request-copy.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/request-copy/grant-request-copy/grant-request-copy.component.ts
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ export class GrantRequestCopyComponent implements OnInit {
   /**
    * A list of integers determining valid access periods in seconds
    */
-  validAccessPeriods$: Observable<number[]>;
+  validAccessPeriods$: Observable<string[]>;
 
   /**
    * The currently selected access period
diff --git a/src/assets/i18n/en.json5 b/src/assets/i18n/en.json5
index 82dc0092e8..5540d16e65 100644
--- a/src/assets/i18n/en.json5
+++ b/src/assets/i18n/en.json5
@@ -2088,15 +2088,15 @@
 
   "grant-request-copy.access-period.header": "Access period",
 
-  "grant-request-copy.access-period.120": "2 minutes",
+  "grant-request-copy.access-period.+1DAY": "1 day",
 
-  "grant-request-copy.access-period.240": "4 minutes",
+  "grant-request-copy.access-period.+1WEEK": "1 week",
 
-  "grant-request-copy.access-period.86400": "1 day",
+  "grant-request-copy.access-period.+1MONTH": "1 month",
 
-  "grant-request-copy.access-period.604800": "7 days",
+  "grant-request-copy.access-period.+3MONTHS": "3 months",
 
-  "grant-request-copy.access-period.0": "Forever",
+  "grant-request-copy.access-period.FOREVER": "Forever",
 
   "health.breadcrumbs": "Health",