A $560 fee now stands between many asylum seekers and the legal right to work in the United States

A $560 fee now stands between many asylum seekers and the legal right to work in the United States. 💼 A report by Documented explains that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, introduced under Donald Trump, created a mandatory payment for first-time work permit applications. Unlike previous rules, this fee cannot be waived and has no exceptions, even for people with pending asylum cases. For years, asylum seekers could request a fee waiver while their cases were being processed. That protection is now gone. ⚖️ The impact is already real for many families. A Venezuelan couple who entered the United States legally through an appointment on CBP One now live in a shelter in New York City. They survived the dangerous journey through the Darién Gap, witnessed people drowning, endured an attempted sexual assault in Guatemala, and were kidnapped in Mexico during their journey north. After all of that, they reached the U.S. seeking protection — but now cannot afford the $560 required to apply for a work permit. Advocates warn the situation could become even worse. A proposed new rule, if it takes effect and isn’t blocked by courts, could make it extremely difficult for asylum seekers to obtain work authorization at all. That means longer waits, deeper uncertainty, and more families stuck in shelters without the ability to earn a living. Some nonprofits in New York have already created emergency legal access funds to help people cover these costs. For many advocates, the question is simple: The outcome of an asylum case should depend on its legal merits — not on whether someone living in a shelter can somehow raise $560.