As of December 5, 2025 , USCIS officially shortened the maximum validity period of many Employment Authorization Documents (EADs), commonly known as work permits, dropping them from up to five years down to just 18 months . ( USCIS ) This isn’t a minor tweak. It applies to both new and renewal  EADs for a broad range of immigration-related situations, including: People who were previously admitted as refugees or granted asylum. Individuals who have or are applying for certain

Public Charge Policy Under Scrutiny: What You Need to Know For many immigrants and their families, the “public charge” test isn’t new, but as of November 2025 it’s become front-page news again. On November 19, 2025, DHS proposed a new rule that would rescind the 2022 regulation on public charge and return to a broader, more flexible standard. Federal Register+2Fragomen+2 That means that for now, the 2022 rule remains in effect, but everything could change once DHS finalizes t

USCIS recently issued an alert announcing that, starting January 1, 2026 , certain immigration-related fees will increase due to inflation. This change is part of the law passed as H.R. 1, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” ( USCIS ) Key Background Information Here’s what you need to know: The law mandates that specific fees for immigration benefit requests be adjusted each fiscal year. This adjustment is based on changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban