In a significant policy reversal, the Trump administration has dramatically shortened the validity of work permits for immigrants seeking asylum and other humanitarian protections in the United States. The new rule, announced on Thursday, December 5, 2025, reduces the duration of these permits from five years to just 18 months.
A Policy Shift for "More Frequent Vetting"
This move directly overturns a Biden-era policy and is framed by officials as a response to the recent shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. Federal authorities allege the attack was carried out by an Afghan national. Joe Edlow, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), stated that forcing immigrants to renew permits more frequently will give the government more opportunities to re-vet them.
"It’s clear that USCIS must enforce more frequent vetting of aliens," Edlow said. "All aliens must remember that working in the United States is a privilege, not a right." The policy is expected to take effect immediately for new applications and could impact hundreds of thousands of individuals.
Broad Impact on Migrants and Industries
The shortened expiration dates will primarily affect a vulnerable group: those seeking asylum, refugees, immigrants who have won asylum cases, and those with other forms of deportation relief. This change is part of a broader push by the Trump administration, which has called for a "reverse migration" of legal immigrants and plans to expand travel bans.
The consequences are expected to ripple through the American economy. Industries like meatpacking, which heavily rely on asylum seekers with work authorizations to staff their plants, will face immediate challenges. Most high-skilled work visa categories, such as the H-1B, are not affected as they do not require separate work permits.
Strained System and Advocacy Concerns
Immigrant advocates and employers have raised alarms. Conchita Cruz, co-executive director of the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, warned that "shortening the validity period of work permits is bad for everyone." She argued it will exacerbate processing backlogs at the already stretched-thin USCIS, force asylum seekers out of jobs, and hurt employers and communities.
The Biden administration had extended permit validity to five years in 2023 to address massive backlogs that left tens of thousands of immigrants unemployed when their permits lapsed during renewal waits. While the longer validity offered stability, it also risked situations where employees held valid documents but had lost their underlying immigration case.
This new Trump policy, coupled with initiatives to reopen old cases for re-vetting, is set to further strain immigration services and marks a decisive hardening of stance against legal immigration channels.
