The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reduced the validity of employment authorization documents (EADs), or work permits, from five years to 18 months, a move aimed at increasing background checks and “vetting” of immigrants working in the United States.
Immigration attorney Akua Poku of AK Poku Law, commenting on Instagram, described the change as part of an ongoing effort by USCIS to screen both documented and undocumented immigrants more frequently.
“The short validity period to 18 months will result in frequent vetting,” she explained, noting that the policy shift comes amid a longstanding backlog in work permit processing.
Poku highlighted multiple factors contributing to the backlog, including delays stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, personnel shortages, and government shutdowns.
“In April 2025, about 20,000 USCIS officers were fired or laid off, and combined with previous government shutdowns, the backlog has become almost impossible to clear,” she said.
The reduction in permit validity follows a period under President Biden’s administration in which work permits were extended to five years to help immigrants remain employed while awaiting adjudication.
“People were out of work while waiting for their permits because USCIS has been backlogged since COVID, and they still haven’t fully recovered,” Poku said.
Under the new policy, immigrants seeking work authorization will face more frequent background reviews and checks to determine eligibility for continued employment in the U.S. Poku warned that these changes are likely to increase administrative burdens for immigrants and their legal representatives.
“USCIS is essentially using the shorter work permit period to do more digging into applicants’ backgrounds and histories, to see if they qualify to be here or not,” Poku said.
The policy update, part of the USCIS Policy Manual, underscores the agency’s broader efforts to tighten oversight of the immigrant workforce while navigating ongoing operational challenges.
