US immigration crackdown: Work permits to be valid for only 18 months now

The revised policy will also impact refugees, asylum seekers, and applicants awaiting adjustment of status.

In a statement, USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said the change was part of efforts to tighten immigration procedures.

“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. After the attack on National Guard service members in our nation’s capital by an alien who was admitted into this country by the previous administration, it’s even more clear that USCIS must conduct frequent vetting of aliens,” Edlow said.

The new rule applies to employment authorization applications that are pending or filed on or after December 5, 2025, and that fall under the affected categories.

Reacting to the development, Emily Neumann, an immigration attorney and managing partner at Reddy Neumann Brown PC, wrote on X:
“This likely means the same for Advance Paroles. It would not be a big deal if renewals were processed timely. Unfortunately, it just creates more filings, which increases the backlog of cases, which increases processing times.”

She added: “This, coupled with the elimination of the automatic EAD renewal for pending applications, will just cause people to have to stop work for no good reason.”

The US government announced the move days after two National Guard members were attacked in Washington, DC.

The suspect, 29-year-old Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, entered the United States in September 2021.

According to CBS News, his asylum application was approved in April 2025, months after President Donald Trump took office for a second ter