SUMMARY
- USCIS will stop accepting new intitial applications for work permits. Given current backlog, it will take 14 to 173 years for new applications to be processed. https://cis.org/Jacobs/DHS-Proposes-Reforms-Its-Asylum-Applicant-Work-Permit-Rules
- Asylum applicants will have to wait 365 days instead of 180 days to apply for a work permit. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/23/2026-03595/employment-authorization-reform-for-asylum-applicants
- USCIS will have expanded authority to deny work authorization including –
- Any reason,
- “Reason to believe” applicants committed certain crimes,
- Applicants miss the asylum 1-year filing deadline, or miss a biometrics appointment, asylum interview, or immigration court hearing, with limited exceptions. ASAP_One_Pager_Rapid_Response.pdf
- Over 6,3000 comments have been submitted. Not all good. Some have suggested extending the wait timeout to 24 months.
Please add your name below by Friday April 24,2026 at 5:00 PM. They will be added to the public comment on page 2
Public Commnent DHS: Employment Authorization Reform for Asylum Applicants