U.S. tightens immigration work permits in latest move to expand crackdown

Source: CBS News

December 4, 2025 / 3:46 PM EST


The Trump administration on Thursday said it would reduce the period of time that work permits are valid for refugees, asylees and other immigrants granted legal protections in the U.S., its latest move to tighten immigration procedures.

The overhaul also applies to immigrants with pending applications for asylum or permanent U.S. residency, known as green cards. Those processes that usually take years to complete, mainly because of a massive backlog of unresolved cases.

Under the new rules, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said it will issue work permits to these populations that last for a maximum of 18 months, instead of the current 5-year period.

In its announcement, USCIS cited the attack against two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., last week, arguing the change will allow the agency to vet and screen immigrants more frequently when they file to renew their work permits.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/immigration-work-permits-uscis/