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USCIS Cuts Work Permit Validity to 18 Months, Cites D.C. Attack to Justify More Frequent Vetting

10:01 AM, 12/05/2025

The Trump administration has narrowed the maximum validity of employment authorization documents for refugees, asylees and other protected immigrants from five years to 18 months to enable more frequent vetting. The rule also covers pending asylum and green-card applicants and takes effect for applications filed or pending after Dec. 5. USCIS cited a recent attack on National Guard members in Washington, D.C., as a principal rationale. The administration has concurrently frozen certain asylum requests, paused Afghan applications and halted cases tied to the travel ban.

USCIS Reduces Employment Authorization Period for Refugees, Asylees and Other Protected Immigrants

The Trump administration on Thursday announced a policy change that shortens the maximum validity of employment authorization documents (EADs) for refugees, asylees and other immigrants granted legal protections in the United States. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said the move is intended to allow more frequent vetting and screening of workers who obtained protection or have pending immigration claims.

Under the revised rule, USCIS will limit work permits for these groups to a maximum of 18 months rather than the current five-year validity period. The change also applies to immigrants with pending asylum claims or applications for lawful permanent resident status (green cards), processes that can take years because of a large backlog.

USCIS cited last week’s attack on two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., as a motivating factor for the policy, saying shorter authorizations give the agency more opportunities to conduct background checks when immigrants file renewals.

The suspect in that incident, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the United States in September 2021 during the Biden administration. His asylum application was approved in April 2025, several months after President Trump began his second term.

"Reducing the maximum validity period for employment authorization will ensure that those seeking to work in the United States do not threaten public safety or promote harmful anti-American ideologies," USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said in a statement.

Edlow added that the D.C. attack, carried out by an individual admitted under the prior administration, underscores the need for more frequent vetting of individuals granted authorization to work.

The policy takes effect for applications filed after Friday, Dec. 5, and will also apply to EAD renewals and applications that are pending as of that date.

Broader Enforcement Actions

In response to the shooting, the administration has expanded immigration enforcement measures: freezing certain asylum requests handled by USCIS, pausing visa and immigration applications filed by Afghan nationals, and halting immigration proceedings—including citizenship ceremonies—for nationals of the 19 countries on President Trump’s travel ban. U.S. officials told CBS News the administration is considering expanding that list to 30 countries.

What This Means: Affected immigrants and their advocates should prepare for more frequent renewal processes, potentially increased administrative reviews, and shorter work-authorisation windows while their underlying immigration cases remain unresolved.

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