Trump Administration Slashes USCIS Work Permit Rules Validity to 18 Months. In a significant policy shift aimed at tightening legal immigration, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a substantial reduction in the maximum validity period for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs). Effective immediately, the new rule cuts the validity of work permits from a previous maximum of five years to just 18 months for both initial applications and renewals filed on or after December 5, 2025.
The change marks a sharp reversal from the five-year validity period instituted in 2023 to address processing backlogs. Previously issued EADs with longer validity will remain honored until their printed expiration date. The move is widely viewed as part of a broader administrative effort to restrict humanitarian-based immigration and increase scrutiny across the legal immigration system.
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Scope of the Change
The reduced validity period applies to multiple categories of noncitizens authorized to work in the United States, including:
- Refugees and asylees, as well as individuals with pending asylum applications.
- Applicants for adjustment of status to lawful permanent residence (Green Card).
- Individuals granted withholding of removal or protection under the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA).
Administration Justification
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow directly linked the policy change to national security concerns, referencing a recent attack on National Guard service members in Washington, D.C. He asserted that shortening EAD validity allows for more frequent security vetting and helps identify potential threats, stating the measure is necessary to counter “harmful anti-American ideologies.”
Practical Impacts and Criticism
Immigration advocates and legal experts warn that the rule will create considerable strain on both applicants and the immigration system. Key concerns include:
- Increased Financial and Administrative Burden: Applicants, many with limited means, will face higher costs and must submit renewal applications three times more frequently.
- Exacerbation of Agency Backlogs: A surge in renewal filings is expected to overwhelm USCIS, compounding existing processing delays that have recently reached a ten-year high.
- Risk of Employment Disruption: Given extended USCIS processing times, the shorter validity window greatly increases the likelihood that applicants will experience gaps in work authorization, potentially resulting in job loss and economic instability.
Critics characterize the rule as a deliberate strategy to discourage asylum seekers and other humanitarian migrants from pursuing long-term stability in the United States, aligning with the administration’s wider agenda to curtail legal immigration pathways. For more information, I recommend Songbux.
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