In a significant policy shift, the administration of United States President Donald Trump has moved to drastically shorten the validity period of work permits issued to refugees, asylees, and other immigrants with pending legal cases. The new rules, which took effect on Friday, December 5, 2025, are part of a broader immigration crackdown following a deadly attack in the nation's capital.
New Rules: From Five Years Down to 18 Months
Under the revised policy announced by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on December 4, employment authorization documents (EADs) will now be valid for a maximum of only 18 months. This marks a sharp reduction from the previous validity period of up to five years. The change affects not only refugees and asylees but also immigrants with pending asylum or green card applications, processes often mired in lengthy backlogs.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow stated that reducing the maximum validity period is a necessary step. The new 18-month rule applies to all work permit applications filed on or after December 5, as well as those already pending on that date.
Security Concerns Trigger Policy Shift
Officials directly linked this policy shift to last week's fatal shooting in Washington, D.C., which resulted in the death of one National Guard member and left another critically injured. The suspect in the attack is identified as 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal.
According to reports, Lakanwal entered the U.S. in September 2021 and had his asylum application approved in April 2025, several months after President Trump began his second term. USCIS argues that shorter work permit periods will allow the agency to conduct more frequent vetting and screening of immigrants when they apply for renewals, thereby enhancing public safety.
Expanding the Immigration Crackdown
The work permit reduction is just one component of a wider series of restrictive immigration measures enacted in the wake of the Washington shooting. The Trump administration has also implemented a freeze on all new asylum requests processed by USCIS and paused visa and immigration applications from Afghan nationals.
Furthermore, the administration has halted legal immigration procedures, including citizenship ceremonies, for nationals from the 19 countries listed under the existing travel ban. U.S. officials have indicated that considerations are underway to potentially expand this travel ban to cover up to 30 nations in response to the attack.
In a related move, Director Edlow announced on social media platform X that, at the direction of the President, a full-scale reexamination of every Green Card issued to individuals from the listed "countries of concern" has been ordered.
This sweeping set of policies represents a major tightening of U.S. immigration procedures, significantly impacting thousands of refugees, asylees, and immigrants awaiting decisions on their status in the country.
