USCIS Tightens Rules: Work Permits Reduced from 5 Years to 18 Months

News Desk: The United States has sharply reduced the validity period of work permits for several categories of immigrants—including Green Card applicants, refugees, asylum seekers and individuals awaiting adjustment of status—from five years to just 18 months, following a new policy update issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, announcing the move, said the revised rule was designed to tighten immigration scrutiny and ensure more frequent security vetting.

“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,” Edlow said, adding that the recent attack on National Guard service members in Washington, DC, by an immigrant admitted under the previous administration highlighted the need for stricter oversight.

The updated rule applies to all employment authorization applications pending or filed on or after December 5, 2025, across the affected categories.

We will no longer automatically extend employment authorization documents (EADs). We’re prioritizing vetting and screening to protect public safety and national security. pic.twitter.com/Y4QdZCsXPn

— USCIS (@USCIS) October 30, 2025

Experts Warn of Delays, Backlogs

Immigration attorney Emily Neumann, managing partner at Reddy Neumann Brown PC, warned that the change will further strain an already overloaded system.

In a post on X, she wrote:

“This likely means the same for Advance Paroles. It wouldn’t be a big deal if renewals were processed on time. Instead, it just creates more filings, more backlog and even longer processing times.”

She added that eliminating automatic EAD renewals for pending cases would force many immigrants to abruptly stop working, causing unnecessary hardship.

Move Follows Attack in Washington, DC

The policy shift comes days after two National Guard members were assaulted in Washington, DC. The suspect, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the US in September 2021. His asylum petition was approved in April 2025, several months after President Donald Trump returned to office.

The administration says the incident underscores the need for tighter immigration vetting—a central theme of its border and national security agenda.