The Trump administration on Thursday announced it is shortening the duration and validity of US work permits for refugees, asylees and other immigrants who hold legal protections to 18 months instead of five years.
Under the revised policy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will now issue employment authorization documents valid for a maximum of 18 months, a significant reduction from the current five-year period.
In its announcement, USCIS linked the policy shift to last week’s attack on two National Guard service members in Washington, D.C. The agency argued that shorter work permit validity will allow for more frequent security vetting during renewals.
The suspect in the attack, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the U.S. in 2021 and was granted asylum in April 2025.
“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. He added that recent events underscore the agency’s need for “frequent vetting of aliens.”
Application of New Rules
The new rules will apply to all work permit applications filed on or after Friday, Dec. 5, as well as applications currently pending.
The changes come as the Trump administration rapidly expands immigration restrictions following the D.C. shooting, which killed one National Guard member and left another in critical condition. In response, the administration has:
Frozen all asylum requests handled by USCIS, paused all visa and immigration applications filed by Afghan nationals and halted all immigration cases, including citizenship ceremonies, for nationals of the 19 countries on the administration’s “travel ban”.
U.S. officials also confirmed that discussions are underway to expand that travel ban to around 30 nations, citing national security concerns stemming from the D.C. attack.