USCIS slashes work permit validity from five years to 18 months in major immigration policy shift affecting thousands of noncitizen workers across America.

USCIS explained the revised policy will “result in more frequent vetting of aliens who apply for authorization to work in the United States,” enabling the agency to “deter fraud and detect aliens with potentially harmful intent so they can be processed for removal from the United States.”

H-1Bs do not need work permit to work in the US and their employment authorization comes from their H-1B status. But indirectly, it may affect some H-1Bs if they are planning to shift from H-1B to using an EAD for more job flexibility.

The new rule, effective December 5, 2025, means more frequent renewals, longer backlogs, and a higher risk that applicants could lose their ability to work while waiting for approvals.

A week after two National Guard members were shot in Washington, DC, USCIS cut work permit validity for Green Card applicants, refugees, and asylum seekers from five years to 18 months. The USCIS argued that the change will allow the agency to vet and screen immigrants more frequently when they apply to renew their work permits.

The pause puts a hold on immigration-related decisions such as green card applications for immigrants from those 19 countries that the Trump administration has described as high-risk.