The United States has reduced the validity of work permits or Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for foreign refugees and asylum seekers. Previously, the validity of EADs was 5 years, but now it has been reduced to 18 months or 1.5 years.

An EAD is a government document, commonly known as a 'work permit'. Previously, foreign nationals living in the United States had to renew their EAD every 5 years. Now, it must be renewed every 18 months.

The US Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS), an agency under the US Department of Homeland Security, confirmed this information in a statement on Thursday.

The notice said that from now on, this rule will apply to 19 categories of foreign nationals living in the United States, including refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants who have escaped deportation.

Donald Trump was sworn in as president on January 20 after winning the 2024 election. During the election, Trump announced that he would take tough action on illegal immigrants and immigration issues if he came to power.

Accordingly, after taking the oath of office, Trump signed an executive order in this regard. After his signature, a campaign against illegal immigrants began across the United States.

The Trump administration has also taken several steps to reduce the flow of legal immigrants to the United States. The most notable of these is the increase in fees for the H-1B visa. This visa allows US multinational companies to bring IT specialists, scientists and researchers from around the world to the United States as employees. Last September, the Trump administration increased the annual fee for this visa from $1,500 to $100,000.

Last week, two members of the US National Guard were shot dead by an Afghan refugee in the US capital, Washington, D.C. In response, the US suspended all immigration-related activities for citizens of 19 countries.

These 19 countries are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Sierra Leone, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela and Yemen.

Meanwhile, in an interview with US media outlet Fox News on Thursday, US Secretary of the Interior Christie Noem said that the US Department of Homeland Security has decided to ban citizens of more than 30 countries from entering the United States.