The C19 EAD category is the employment authorization code USCIS uses for people who have applied for Temporary Protected Status and been found prima facie eligible while their TPS application is still pending. It comes from federal regulation 8 CFR 274a.12(c)(19), which routes TPS applicants through the procedures in Part 244 for work authorization.1eCFR. 8 CFR 274a.12 – Classes of Aliens Authorized to Accept Employment If your card shows category (c)(19), you have an interim work permit tied to a TPS case that USCIS has not yet finally decided.
C19 Versus A12
TPS work permits come in two versions, and the difference matters for I-9 verification. A12 is issued after USCIS approves your TPS application. C19 is issued while the application is still pending, once USCIS has determined you are prima facie eligible.2USCIS. Employment Authorization If your TPS is ultimately approved, your next EAD will carry the A12 code instead of C19.
“Prima facie” here means your completed application, on its face, contains factual information that would establish TPS eligibility if not rebutted.3eCFR. 8 CFR Part 244 – Temporary Protected Status for Nationals of Designated States It is an initial screening, not a final approval, and the C19 card reflects that interim posture.
Who Qualifies
You must be a national of a country the Secretary of Homeland Security has designated for TPS, or a stateless person who last habitually resided in such a country. Beyond that, federal law imposes four conditions:4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1254a – Temporary Protected Status
- Continuous physical presence in the United States since the effective date of your country’s most recent TPS designation.
- Continuous residence in the United States since a date specified by DHS and published in the Federal Register notice for your country.
- Admissibility as an immigrant, with certain grounds waivable and others not.
- Registration during the registration period set out in the Federal Register notice, which must be at least 180 days.
The C19 EAD itself becomes available once you file and USCIS makes the prima facie determination.
Criminal Bars You Cannot Get Around
TPS carries hard criminal bars that USCIS cannot waive. You are ineligible if you have been convicted of any felony, or of two or more misdemeanors committed in the United States.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1254a – Temporary Protected Status The misdemeanors count cumulatively; two separate convictions, even for minor offenses, disqualify you.
Certain inadmissibility grounds also cannot be waived for TPS: serious criminal grounds, drug trafficking (except simple possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana), and national security-related grounds. USCIS can waive other inadmissibility grounds on a case-by-case basis for humanitarian reasons, family unity, or the public interest.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1254a – Temporary Protected Status Mandatory asylum bars, such as participation in persecution or terrorist activity, also disqualify you.5USCIS. Temporary Protected Status
How to Apply
You file two forms: Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, and Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. You can submit them together or send the I-765 later. Filing them together is the faster route to a work permit.6USCIS. I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status
On the I-765, enter eligibility category (c)(19) in the designated field. That tells USCIS you are asking for temporary treatment benefits while the TPS case is pending. If you already hold approved TPS and are re-registering, use (a)(12) instead.
Do not file until the Federal Register notice for your country’s designation has been published. Each notice controls the registration period, the filing addresses, and whether online filing is available for your country.7USCIS. Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization Filing instructions differ by country, so check the USCIS TPS page for your designation before mailing anything.
Documents to Gather
USCIS wants evidence of three things: your nationality, your date of entry, and your continuous residence. The I-821 instructions list what counts:8USCIS. Instructions for Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status
- Nationality: passport, birth certificate with photo identification, or national identity document from your country of origin.
- Date of entry: passport, Form I-94, or other documents showing when you arrived.
- Continuous residence: pay stubs, utility bills, school records, medical records, tax returns, bank statements, or church or union attestations covering the required period.
Foreign-language documents need a certified English translation. If you are re-registering rather than filing initially, you generally do not need to resubmit the underlying evidence, though USCIS can request more.8USCIS. Instructions for Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status
Fees and Fee Waivers
TPS filing fees changed with the inflation-adjusted fee schedule effective January 1, 2026. Because the amounts adjust periodically, check the USCIS Fee Schedule (Form G-1055) for the current numbers before you file. Submitting the wrong amount after January 1, 2026, will result in USCIS rejecting your application.6USCIS. I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status
A fee waiver is available for the I-765 filed under (c)(19). File Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, with your application and documentation of your finances. You need to qualify under only one basis: income below a threshold, receipt of a means-tested benefit, or financial hardship.9USCIS. Additional Information on Filing a Fee Waiver
What Happens After You File
USCIS mails a Form I-797C receipt notice with a case number you can use to check status online.10USCIS. Form I-797C, Notice of Action The receipt confirms a pending application. It does not, by itself, prove you can work.
If USCIS finds you prima facie eligible, it grants temporary treatment benefits and issues the C19 EAD.3eCFR. 8 CFR Part 244 – Temporary Protected Status for Nationals of Designated States Processing runs for months and varies by workload. Watch your mail for requests for evidence; missing a response deadline can result in denial.
How Long the C19 Card Is Valid
A C19 EAD is valid for a period tied to your country’s TPS designation. When DHS extends a designation through a Federal Register notice, that notice generally also extends the expiration dates of associated A12 and C19 EADs.11USCIS. Handbook for Employers M-274 – 5.3 Automatic EAD Extensions for TPS Beneficiaries Your physical card may show an old expiration date and still be valid under the notice, which is worth explaining to an employer during I-9 reverification.
When the designation is extended, you re-register during the re-registration period in the notice. That means a new Form I-821 and, if you want a new card, a new Form I-765. USCIS suggests filing the renewal I-765 up to 180 days before your current EAD expires.12USCIS. DHS Ends Automatic Extension of Employment Authorization
The End of Automatic EAD Extensions
As of October 30, 2025, DHS ended the general practice of automatically extending EAD validity for people who file renewals. Under the old rule, a timely renewal filing kept your existing card valid while USCIS processed the new one. For applications filed on or after that date, that automatic extension is largely gone.12USCIS. DHS Ends Automatic Extension of Employment Authorization
TPS has a narrow carve-out. Extensions provided by law or by a Federal Register notice for TPS-related employment documentation are still honored.12USCIS. DHS Ends Automatic Extension of Employment Authorization Check the Federal Register notice for your country. If it extends your EAD, you are covered. If it does not, you could face a gap between when the old card expires and when the new one arrives. Filing early has stopped being just good practice.
Late Initial Registration
Missing the initial registration period does not always end your chances. You can file late if, during the original registration window, you held nonimmigrant status, had a pending application for change of status or asylum, were a parolee, or were the spouse or child of someone currently eligible for TPS.5USCIS. Temporary Protected Status Children of TPS-eligible individuals have no time limit, even if they are now over 21 or married, as long as the parent remains currently eligible. Late registrants found prima facie eligible get the same C19 benefits as timely filers.
C19 Is Not the U Visa Work Permit
A common online confusion mixes C19 up with the work permit for U visa petitioners who receive a bona fide determination. Those are different programs. The U visa EAD for bona fide determinations falls under category (c)(14), not (c)(19).13USCIS. National Engagement – U Visa and Bona Fide Determination Process – FAQ U visas involve Form I-918 and a law enforcement certification; TPS involves Form I-821 and proof of nationality and residence. If you are a crime victim pursuing U nonimmigrant status, C19 does not apply to you.