Coalition Effort Calls for Fair and Efficient Work Permit Process for Asylum Seekers

The American Immigration Council joined 74 other organizations in a letter calling on the Biden administration to eliminate restrictions on work authorization for asylum seekers. The letter requests that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rescind Trump administration regulations, which double the wait time for from six months to one year after submitting an asylum application, end requirements for efficient processing, and bar some asylum seekers from work permits altogether.

The organizations also ask that applying for a work permit be automatic as part of the asylum process, and that these permits remain valid throughout the applicant's asylum case. The letter also calls for increased language access to forms and instructions and the elimination of application fees.