Asylum Final Rule Adds Steps, Lengthens Wait for U.S. Employment

Asylum seekers must wait a full year before applying for U.S. work permits while facing additional hurdles to employment authorization under a final rule released by the Department of Homeland Security.

The regulation, first proposed in November, requires asylum applicants to submit biometrics, such as fingerprinting, to receive a work permit. They also must come into the U.S. through a port of entry.

The final rule adds steps and requirements to an already-complex system, but some of those steps have been rendered nearly impossible during the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services field offices and service centers have ...