The Trump administration on Thursday announced a major change to America’s immigration rules. Under the new policy, refugees and other legally protected immigrants will now get a much shorter period to work in the US. The maximum validity of a work permit has been reduced from 5 years to just 18 months.
This move is seen as one of the strongest steps taken so far to tighten US immigration rules. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said in a statement that the change was made to increase the frequency of security reviews. USCIS explained that reducing the validity period will help ensure that people working in the country do not pose any security risks or promote harmful anti-American activities.
The announcement also referred to last week’s attack on two National Guard members in Washington, calling it proof that more frequent checks are necessary. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said the incident made it even clearer that regular background checks on foreign nationals are important.
Under the revised rules, refugees and immigrants who are protected from removal or who are waiting for a decision on asylum or a green card will receive work permits valid for only 18 months. Previously, the validity period was 5 years. Another change affects people with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), those on parole, pending TPS applicants and similar groups. For them, work permit validity has been reduced by one year based on their official stay.
These new rules will apply to all pending and future Form I-765 applications filed on or after December 5, 2025. USCIS said that stronger and more frequent background checks are needed following the Washington DC attack.
However, the new policy has also faced criticism. Critics argue that these broad changes will affect thousands of immigrants whose cases are still under review. They say forcing applicants to renew their work permits every 18 months could increase delays in an already overloaded system.
