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The Trump administration on Thursday announced a significant reduction in the validity of work permits for refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants, shortening them from five years to 18 months.
The policy forms part of a broader immigration crackdown, coming just two days after the government suspended immigration applications from citizens of 19 countries.
Officials cited security concerns as a key reason for the change.
Joseph Edlow, director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), referred to a November 26 shooting in Washington, D.C., in which two National Guard members were allegedly attacked by an Afghan man who had entered the United States through a resettlement programme following the military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
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.
He added that the incident underscored the need for more frequent vetting of individuals entering the country.
The policy affects migrants admitted as refugees, those granted asylum, and individuals whose deportation has been temporarily suspended.
The move coincides with the administration’s suspension of green card and citizenship processing for citizens of 19 nations, including Afghanistan, Yemen, Haiti, Venezuela, Sudan, and Somalia, all of which were already subject to travel restrictions.
Trump, who campaigned on promises to deport millions of undocumented migrants, indicated after the National Guard shooting that he intended to “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries,” signalling a hardline approach to immigration early in his administration.
