Washington / New York — December 4, 2025 | Dalena Reporters
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a sweeping change to the duration of work-permits (Employment Authorization Documents – EADs) for non-citizens, reducing the maximum validity period from five years to 18 months.
Under the revised policy, which takes effect December 5, 2025, all new or renewed applications for EADs submitted on or after that date will be subject to the shortened validity period. This affects refugees, asylum-seekers, individuals with pending adjustment-of-status applications, and many other categories of non-citizens legally authorized to work in the United States.
According to USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, the change is part of a “security-driven” overhaul aimed at enabling more frequent background checks and vetting of foreign nationals — a measure the agency frames as critical to national security in light of recent events, including a deadly attack in Washington linked to a migrant with prior work authorization.
The policy shift comes amid a broader tightening of U.S. immigration rules — including the end of automatic work-permit extensions for pending cases, a freeze on immigration applications from several high-risk countries, and enhanced scrutiny of visa applicants under employment-based visa programmes.
Immigration-rights advocates have condemned the changes as punitive and disruptive, arguing they burden non-citizens and undermine stability for immigrant communities already facing uncertainty. Critics warn that the tighter rules risk weakening the U.S. labour force just as the country faces shortages in key sectors.
Meanwhile, the policy underscores the current U.S. administration’s shift toward a markedly stricter immigration regime, emphasising security, vetting and temporary authorisations over long-term stability or integration.