USCIS has updated its Policy Manual to shorten the maximum validity period of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) for several categories of noncitizens, bringing many of them back down from five years to 18 months. The agency says this change—along with new EAD rules mandated under H.R. 1—will allow for more frequent vetting to deter fraud and identify individuals who may pose security risks. The update applies to refugees, asylees, individuals granted withholding of removal, applicants for asylum or adjustment of status, and those seeking suspension or cancellation of removal, with the new limits affecting applications pending or filed on or after December 5, 2025. Under H.R. 1, additional groups—such as individuals granted or applying for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), certain parolees, and spouses of entrepreneurs under parole—will now receive EADs valid for no more than one year or the length of their authorized parole/TPS period, whichever is shorter. These changes apply to all Form I-765 applications pending or filed on or after July 22, 2025.