The US has shortened the validity period of work permits: What you need to know

On December 4, the Trump administration announced it would shorten the validity of work permits for refugees, asylees, and other immigrants with legal protections in the United States. This is another step toward tightening immigration procedures, explains CBS News.

The changes will also affect immigrants with pending applications for asylum or permanent residence, known as a green card. Processing such applications typically takes years, primarily due to the massive backlog of cases.

Under the new rules, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will issue work permits to these categories for a maximum of 18 months instead of the current 5 years.

On the subject: How to get a work permit in the US if you have an emergency

In his communication USCIS cited last week's attack on two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., as a reason for the change. The agency stated that the change would allow for more frequent screening of immigrants applying for work authorization extensions.

The suspect in the attack, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Laqanwal, entered the United States in September 2021 under the Biden administration, but his asylum application was approved in April 2025 – several months after Trump took office for the second time.

"Reducing the maximum validity period for work authorizations will help ensure that individuals seeking to work in the United States do not pose a threat to public safety or promote harmful anti-American views," USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said in a statement.

"Following the attack on National Guard troops in our nation's capital by an alien admitted to the country by the previous administration, it has become even more clear that USCIS must conduct frequent vetting of aliens," Edlow added.

The new policy will apply to work permit applications submitted after Friday, December 5, as well as those pending on that date.

Last week, a shooting in Washington, D.C., killed one National Guard soldier and left a colleague in critical condition. Following this, the Trump administration dramatically expanded immigration restrictions, narrowing the paths through which certain categories of immigrants could legally enter or remain in the United States.

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The administration froze all asylum requests pending with USCIS, suspended visa and immigration applications submitted by Afghan citizens, and halted all lawful immigration proceedings, including naturalization ceremonies, for citizens of 19 countries included in Trump's "travel ban."

The White House administration is considering expanding the travel ban to 30 countries in response to the shooting in Washington.

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