Changes to VAWA (Violence Against Women Act)
Summary: There are two big changes for those applying for immigration relief under VAWA. The first change applies to when the applicant resided with their US Citizen abuser – it must have been during the qualifying relationship. The second change impacts the Prohibited Source Provision, which will no longer apply to those applicants with a criminal record.
On December 4, 2025, USCIS changed its policies on the validity period for certain categories of work permits, or EADs (employment authorization documents). They have shortened the length of the work permit from 5 years to 18 months. These changes will require those with the specified EAD categories to apply for renewal much more frequently than was previously necessary.
The categories are as follows: those admitted as refugees, granted asylum, granted withholding of deportation or removal, with pending applications for asylum and withholding of removal, with pending applications for adjustment of status under INA 245, and those with pending applications for suspension of deportation, cancelation of removal, or relief under the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act. Applicants under this category will need to re-apply for their work permit for as long as they are able. As an example, if someone is applying for adjustment of status under INA 245 and the application process takes 3 years, they will have to apply for the work permit multiple times under this new category.
There are other categories of work permits where the validity period will be one year or the end date of the authorized period or duration of protected status, whichever is shorter. Those categories are as follows: those paroled as refugees, granted TPS, granted parole, with a pending TPS application, and spouse of entrepreneur parole. For example, if on January 1, someone is applying for TPS where the validity period has already begun and ends on September 30, then that person would only have the work permit until the TPS program ends on September 30, not for one year from the date of its approval.
These are significant changes and applicants under these categories should make sure that they are renewing their work permits in a timely manner so that they can work on a continuous basis.
