An adjustment of status work permit is the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) you can obtain while your green card application is pending with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. You apply by filing Form I-765 under eligibility category (c)(9), and as of December 2025 a newly issued card in this category is valid for up to 18 months rather than the five years that had been standard. The card also serves as List A proof of identity and work authorization for Form I-9 and can help you obtain a Social Security number.
Who Qualifies
Federal regulations authorize employment for anyone who has a properly filed Form I-485 pending final adjudication. The governing rule is 8 CFR 274a.12(c)(9).1eCFR. 8 CFR 274a.12 – Classes of Aliens Authorized to Accept Employment You must be physically present in the United States when you file and while your case remains open. If USCIS denies or you withdraw your I-485, your work authorization ends.
Unlike many employment-based categories, a (c)(9) EAD does not tie you to a particular employer or occupation. You can work for any employer in virtually any field without a separate job offer or sponsor.
One boundary to be aware of: refugees adjusting under INA section 209 should file under category (a)(3), and asylees adjusting under section 209 file under category (a)(5). Using the wrong eligibility code can cause delays or a denial.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-765 Instructions
How to File Form I-765
Form I-765 is the application for work authorization. You can file it online through a USCIS account or mail a paper version.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application for Employment Authorization Online filing is generally faster because receipts issue immediately and you avoid postal delays. Select eligibility category (c)(9) to indicate the pending adjustment of status application.
You can file the I-765 at the same time as your I-485, or later as a standalone. Filing them together is the more common route. If you file both in one package, mail them to the address listed for the I-485.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization If the I-485 is already on file, include a copy of your I-797C receipt notice with the standalone I-765 to show the underlying case is pending.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application for Employment Authorization
Filing fees depend on whether the I-765 is submitted with the I-485 or on its own, and the rules have changed in recent years. Confirm the current amount on the USCIS fee schedule before filing.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055, Fee Schedule Payment is by check, money order, or through Pay.gov for online filings; make paper payments out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Supporting Documents
Along with the completed form, submit:
- Two passport-style color photos, 2 by 2 inches, on a white or off-white background, with your name and A-Number (if any) lightly written on the back in pencil or felt pen.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-765 Instructions
- A copy of a government-issued ID such as your passport or birth certificate. Foreign-language documents need a certified English translation.
- Your I-797C receipt notice, if the I-485 is already pending and you are filing the I-765 separately.
- Copies of any prior EADs, U.S. visas, or I-94 arrival records to help USCIS cross-reference your file.
Complete every field. Enter “N/A” where a section does not apply and “None” where a numerical answer is requested but you have nothing to report. Blurry copies are a common reason for delays, so make sure everything is legible.
After You File
USCIS sends a receipt notice with a 13-character case number (three letters followed by ten digits). You can track the case through the USCIS online case status tool, or through your USCIS account if you filed online.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Checking Your Case Status Online
USCIS collects biometrics — fingerprints, photo, and signature — for background checks. In some cases USCIS reuses biometrics from a prior application if the photo is less than three years old, so not every applicant is called in.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Photograph Reuse for Identity Documents – Policy Alert If you do receive an appointment notice, attend it; missing it can stall the case.
Processing times vary by office and workload. Waits of several months are common, and delays past six to eight months happen regularly. If approved, USCIS mails the physical card to the address on your application, so keep your address current throughout the process.
How Long the Card Lasts
On December 4, 2025, USCIS reduced the maximum validity for (c)(9) EADs from five years to 18 months.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Reduced Validity Periods for Newly Issued Employment Authorization Documents The shorter period applies to any I-765 pending or filed on or after December 5, 2025. Five-year EADs issued before that date keep their original validity.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Updating Certain Employment Authorization Document Validity Periods
Because I-485 processing routinely runs longer than 18 months, many adjustment applicants will now need to renew the work permit at least once before the green card is finally approved.
Renewals and the End of Automatic Extensions
When your EAD is approaching its expiration date, file a new Form I-765 to renew, using the same (c)(9) category and the same general process as the initial application. You can file the renewal up to 180 days before the card expires.
Before October 30, 2025, a timely-filed renewal came with an automatic extension of the existing EAD for up to 540 days while USCIS processed the new one. That safety net is gone. An interim final rule effective October 30, 2025 ended automatic EAD extensions for most categories, including (c)(9) adjustment applicants.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Automatic Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Extension For renewals filed on or after that date, your current EAD expires on the date printed on the card regardless of whether the new one has been issued.11eCFR. 8 CFR 274a.13 – Application for Employment Authorization
The practical result is a real risk of a gap. If the renewal takes longer than expected and your card expires in the meantime, you cannot legally work until the new card arrives. File as early as the 180-day window allows to minimize that risk. If you filed a renewal before October 30, 2025 and it was still pending on that date, you keep the up-to-540-day automatic extension.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Automatic Extensions Based on a Timely Filed Application to Renew Employment Authorization
If You Need Faster Processing
Premium processing is not available for (c)(9) adjustment applicants. That service is limited to certain employment-based petitions and specific I-765 categories such as F-1 OPT.13U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Request for Premium Processing Service
You can submit an expedite request to USCIS, evaluated case by case. Recognized grounds include:14U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 5 – Expedite Requests
- Severe financial loss, documented with specific hardship such as inability to pay for housing or loss of a current job. Simply needing to work is not enough.
- Emergency or humanitarian situations, such as serious illness, disability, or a family member’s death.
- Nonprofit organization needs, where a nonprofit employer can show the role furthers cultural or social interests of the United States.
- Clear USCIS error in handling the case.
Requests must include documentation supporting the claim and will be denied if the delay was caused by your own late filing or failure to respond to evidence requests. Approvals are far from guaranteed.
Travel While Your Green Card Application Is Pending
If you leave the United States without an advance parole document while your I-485 is pending, USCIS generally considers your green card application abandoned.15U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. While Your Green Card Application Is Pending with USCIS A single trip abroad without the right paperwork can end the entire adjustment case.
You request advance parole by filing Form I-131. If you file the I-765 and I-131 together, USCIS can issue a single combo card that acts as both work permit and travel document.16U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS to Issue Employment Authorization and Advance Parole Card for Adjustment of Status Applicants Filing both from the start is the simplest approach, since it avoids a separate application later and preserves travel flexibility once the card issues.
Even with advance parole, travel is not risk-free. If you previously accumulated more than 180 days of unlawful presence and then depart, you can trigger a three-year or ten-year bar on reentry, and advance parole does not automatically waive those bars. Anyone with a complicated immigration history should consult an attorney before traveling.
Getting a Social Security Number
Once you have work authorization, you are eligible to apply for a Social Security number, and you may not need a separate trip to the Social Security Administration. On Form I-765 or Form I-485, you can elect to have USCIS share your information with the SSA through a program called Enumeration Beyond Entry, which processes the Social Security card automatically. When it works as intended, the card arrives by mail within about 14 days of receiving the immigration document.17Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card
If the card does not arrive in that window, or you did not elect the automated option, visit your local Social Security office with your EAD and identity documents. The SSA verifies status with USCIS, which can occasionally add a couple of weeks.
Using the Card at Work
The EAD is a List A document for Form I-9, meaning it proves both identity and work authorization in a single card. You do not need to show your employer a separate ID or Social Security card on top of it.18U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Employment Authorization Document An employer cannot legally demand specific documents beyond what Form I-9 requires or refuse to accept a valid EAD.
Keep the card in a safe place and make copies for your records. A lost, stolen, or damaged card requires a replacement I-765, which takes time and leaves you without proof of authorization in the interim. With automatic extensions gone, even a short lapse at renewal can force you to stop working until the new card arrives, so treat the 180-day renewal window as the moment to file, not a deadline to reach.