The Trump administration has reduced the maximum validity period for work permits issued to refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants, cutting the authorisation to 18 months from five years as part of its escalating immigration crackdown.
The decision came two days after the administration halted immigration applications for citizens from 19 countries already subject to travel restrictions.
It also followed last week’s shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, an incident allegedly carried out by an Afghan man who arrived in the United States through a resettlement programme after the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Joseph Edlow, director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), cited the 26 November attack as justification for the policy shift.
"Reducing the maximum validity period for employment authorisation will ensure that those seeking to work in the United States do not threaten public safety or promote harmful anti-American ideologies," Edlow said in a statement.
"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," he added.
According to USCIS, the shortened work permit validity will apply to migrants admitted as refugees, individuals granted asylum, and those whose deportation has been put on hold.
More restrictions
On Tuesday, the administration announced that it was halting green card and citizenship processing for citizens of 19 nations already facing travel restrictions.
These include Afghanistan, Yemen, Haiti, Venezuela, Sudan and Somalia.
President Donald Trump campaigned on a pledge to deport millions of undocumented migrants.
Following the National Guard shooting, he said he planned to "permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries."
The move marks one of the most significant administrative changes to the work authorisation system in years, with rights groups warning that it will disrupt employment stability for refugees and asylum seekers who already face lengthy vetting and administrative delays.
The administration argues the shorter validity window will allow more frequent security screening.
