WASHINGTON – The Trump administration announced Thursday a major reduction in work authorization periods for immigrants, cutting them from five years to 18 months, marking the latest step in a broader crackdown on legal immigration. The policy shift follows the shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members by an Afghan national who had been granted asylum earlier this year.
The change affects refugees, asylum seekers, individuals with withholding of removal, those adjusting their status, and certain immigrants under the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act of 1997, which includes Nicaraguans, Cubans, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, and former Soviet bloc nationals and their dependents. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said the reduction in maximum work authorization will allow more frequent vetting of immigrants and ensure public safety. He cited the recent attack on National Guard members as a rationale for increased scrutiny.
The shortened work authorization period is expected to create significant backlogs at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which processes employment permits and other immigration paperwork. Fees for initial employment authorization now total $550, with $275 for renewals, reflecting increases tied to recent federal legislation.
The shooting that prompted the policy change resulted in the death of U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, while a U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains hospitalized in stable condition. The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges. The administration has also paused immigration applications from 19 countries previously designated as “high-risk,” temporarily halting processing for green card and citizenship applications as part of its intensified approach to legal immigration and deportation enforcement.