US Cuts Immigrant Work Permits to 18 Months

The United States has sharply reduced the validity period of work permits for refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants from five years to 18 months, as the Trump administration moves to tighten its immigration framework.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services said the shorter permit duration will allow for more frequent vetting of foreign nationals.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the change affects hundreds of thousands of people, including workers employed by companies that rely on asylum seekers with authorized work status.

Immigration has been a defining issue for President Donald Trump’s administration. Data from the Department of Homeland Security shows that nearly 2 million people have left the US since Trump took office last January, including 530,000 deportations and 1.6 million individuals who “departed voluntarily.”