The Trump administration on Thursday announced sweeping changes to how long asylum seekers and other foreign nationals can legally work in the United States, dramatically shortening the lifespan of work permits from five years to just 18 months.
The move comes amid heightened national security concerns following the deadly ambush of two National Guard soldiers by an Afghan national shortly before Thanksgiving.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joe Edlow said the policy change is necessary to protect the country from individuals who may pose public safety risks or harbor anti-American ideologies. “Reducing the maximum validity period for employment authorization will ensure that those seeking to work in the United States do not threaten public safety or promote harmful anti-American ideologies,” Edlow said.
Edlow pointed directly to the National Guard attack in Washington, D.C., as evidence the immigration system requires far more aggressive oversight. “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 said.
Under the new rules, USCIS will scale back the maximum work permit duration for refugees, individuals granted asylum, and those granted withholding of removal. The shortened timeframe will also apply to migrants with pending applications for asylum, adjustment of status, suspension of deportation, and other humanitarian categories. The changes apply to all applications filed on or after December 5, 2025.
The policy shift is part of a broader tightening of the immigration system following a string of security incidents involving Afghan nationals brought to the U.S. under the Biden-era Operation Allies Welcome program—an initiative the Trump administration has criticized as dangerously lax.
Authorities say Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national admitted through the program, shot and killed West Virginia Army National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and critically wounded Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe on November 26. Federal authorities have since arrested additional Afghan migrants: Mohammad Dawood Alokozay was detained on November 25 for allegedly issuing bomb threats in Fort Worth, Texas, and Jaan Shah Safi was arrested Wednesday for allegedly providing support to ISIS-K.
For the Trump administration, these cases highlight what officials say is a catastrophic failure in Biden-era vetting. Since the National Guard attack, the administration has moved aggressively to restrict asylum access for all foreign nationals and completely freeze immigration processing for individuals from 19 high-risk countries.
Edlow emphasized that national security—not political considerations—drives the administration’s approach. “My primary responsibility is to ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible,” he said earlier in November. “This includes an assessment of where they are coming from and why.”
The decision to shorten work authorization windows marks another step in Trump’s broader effort to overhaul the immigration system and restore stringent vetting measures. Supporters argue the reforms are necessary to protect Americans from the consequences of what they describe as the Biden administration’s reckless immigration policies. Critics, however, are likely to challenge the changes as overly restrictive.
For now, the administration is signaling it will take no chances. After a series of deadly and disruptive incidents involving inadequately vetted migrants, officials say frequent, repeated review of foreign nationals’ work authorization is essential to protecting American communities.
[READ MORE: GAO Launches Investigation Into FHFA Director Bill Pulte After Democrats Object to His Scrutiny of Their Allies]
