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The United States government announced that work permits (EAD) for several groups of immigrants will no longer be issued for five years and will have a validity of 18 months, a measure that takes effect on December 5 and that, according to USCIS, aims to strengthen background checks and prevent fraud.
According to an interview granted to journalist Mario J. Pentón by lawyer Ismael Labrador, the change applies to pending applications as well as to new applications submitted starting December 5.
The groups mentioned as affected include: refugees, asylum seekers, applicants for asylum with pending cases, and individuals processing permanent residency or suspension of deportation.
Those whom it doesn’t affect (for now) in the immediate practice
If a person already holds a valid work permit for several years (for example, expiring in 2029 or 2030), that date does not automatically change due to this measure.
That is to say, the reduction to 18 months does not suddenly "shorten" the permits already issued; it mainly affects those that are in process or those that are submitted from the time it goes into effect.
"We hope it won't be affected in the future, but we also cannot predict what will happen in the future. However, at least this measure only impacts those who are pending. Now, all individuals with pending adjustment permits for months will unfortunately only be granted 18 months of validity," clarified Labrador.
"Prevent" frauds?
USCIS had already implemented another significant adjustment: since October 30, 2025, the automatic extension of EADs while awaiting renewal has been eliminated, "with a few exceptions," which affects those who relied on that continuity to avoid losing employment during the wait.
The USCIS explained that the change aims to strengthen the background checks for immigrants and prevent fraud in work permits.
According to the agency, the reduction will allow for "more frequent evaluation" of those working legally in the country.
The director of the agency, Joseph Edlow, stated that the measure will ensure that “those seeking to work in the United States do not pose a threat to public safety nor promote ideologies contrary to national values.”
The provision is framed within the H.R. 1 – One Big Beautiful Bill Act, enacted by President Donald Trump on July 4th, which establishes shorter validity periods for beneficiaries of humanitarian programs such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or parole.
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