US Reduces Refugee Work Permit Validity to 18 Months

(UNITED STATES) The Trump administration moved on Thursday to sharply shorten how long many immigrants can legally work in the country, announcing that work permits for refugees, asylum seekers, and several other protected groups will now be issued for a maximum of 18 months, down from 5 years. The change, which affects people who already applied as well as new applicants, marks one of the most sweeping cuts to employment authorization in years and immediately raises fresh questions for employers, families, and hundreds of thousands of workers who rely on these documents to keep their jobs.

When the rule takes effect and who it affects

The new policy is scheduled to take effect on December 5, 2025, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). From that date:

• Any pending or future application for an employment authorization document (commonly known as an EAD) will be capped at 18 months if it is tied to:
  • Refugee admission
  • A granted or pending asylum case
  • Certain forms of protection from deportation

People in those categories often depend on these work permits for long stretches while they wait for final decisions on asylum or other immigration benefits, a process that can already take years.

Administration rationale and a cited incident

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow defended the move as a public safety measure. He said:

“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.”

The administration linked the new rule to the recent shooting of two National Guard troops near the White House, arguing that shorter work authorization periods will allow more frequent security checks every time someone renews their card.

Officials pointed to the suspect in that attack, identified as 29‑year‑old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, as a key example. Lakanwal entered the United States in September 2021 and later had his asylum application approved in April 2025. While the government has not said publicly whether his work permits played any role in the incident, the White House and USCIS are using the case to argue that even people who pass initial screening as asylum seekers or refugees should face tighter ongoing review before being allowed to keep working.

Concerns from immigrant advocates

Immigrant advocates say that connection is misplaced and warn the policy will cause far more harm than it prevents.

Conchita Cruz, co‑executive director of the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, said the decision would:

• “Cause longer work permit backlogs, which are already a huge problem and threaten to push immigrants out of the workforce.”

She stressed that shorter validity periods will not only hit refugees and asylum seekers, but also:

• “Hundreds of thousands of immigrants—including asylum applicants and spouses of U.S. citizens waiting for green cards—as well as U.S. citizen family members, employers, coworkers, and labor unions who depend on immigrant workers.”

Practical effects: renewals, fees, and backlogs

Because each renewal requires a full application, fee, and security check, lawyers say an 18‑month limit will force many people to file far more often with USCIS — a system already struggling with delays.

• Every extra filing increases:
  • Work for USCIS
  • Chances for paperwork problems
  • Risk that people will be left without valid work permits for months

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, past surges in EAD renewals have quickly turned into large backlogs, with workers stuck waiting and employers unsure if they can legally keep staff on the payroll.

Who will be hit hardest

The rule is expected to hit hardest those who stay in temporary status for long periods, including:

• Asylum seekers, whose cases can sit in immigration courts for years
• Refugees rebuilding their lives while waiting to qualify for permanent residency

Many already face long waits for their first EAD. Once this change begins, they will likely need to refile Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, several times just to keep working in the same job. Official guidance for that form is posted on the USCIS website at Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, which will now become an even more frequent stop for affected workers.

Human impact: jobs, families, and employers

For individuals, the stakes are immediate and personal.

• An asylum seeker who finally secures a job after months of waiting may now be forced to start the renewal process almost as soon as the card arrives.
• Mail delays or processing errors could leave someone suddenly unable to work.
• Parents with U.S. citizen children worry about paying rent if a renewal takes longer than 18 months and employers, fearing penalties, remove them from the schedule until a new card is produced.

Some refugees working in long‑term care, food processing, or hospitality report employers already growing nervous about paperwork checks.

Broader policy context

The announcement is part of a broader pattern of immigration restrictions by President Trump’s team.

• Earlier the same week, USCIS said it was halting consideration of all pending asylum applications and stopping work authorizations, green cards, sponsorship, and citizenship applications from immigrants from 19 countries that officials have not publicly named in full.
• In October, the administration ended the automatic extension of most work permits for people who applied to renew on time — a change advocates say has already triggered gaps in employment as renewals come in late.

Supporters of the new policy argue it better reflects the temporary nature of some protections. Their view:

• If someone is in the U.S. only because their asylum case is pending, or because they are protected from deportation for limited humanitarian reasons, their work permits should not exceed the underlying status.

Critics counter that this ignores the reality that asylum cases can drag on while people build ties to communities, raise children, and become key workers in local economies.

Business and local government concerns

Business groups and local officials, especially in areas that rely heavily on immigrant labor, are privately expressing concern:

• The rule adds uncertainty on top of shifting hiring rules for foreign workers.
• The risk that an experienced employee could suddenly lose the right to work because a renewal got stuck makes long‑term planning harder.
• Some employers may avoid hiring asylum seekers and refugees altogether if they feel the paperwork risk is too high, even when those workers are fully authorized at the time of hire.

Legal and practical next steps for affected immigrants

For now, attorneys are advising affected immigrants to:

1. Check the expiration dates on current work permits.
2. Talk to legal counsel well before December 5, 2025, to plan for earlier renewals.
3. Monitor guidance and collect documentation to support timely filings.

While no major lawsuits challenging the specific 18‑month cap have been announced, advocacy groups say they are closely reviewing the rule and collecting stories from workers who could be pushed out of jobs.

Many refugees and asylum seekers already say they feel caught between fear of losing legal status and the need to keep food on the table, with the latest change adding yet another deadline to worry about.

If you need to consult official instructions for renewal filings, see Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization for current USCIS guidance and filing details.