How to Apply for an EAD: Eligibility, Documents, and Fees

To apply for an EAD, you file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services either through a USCIS online account or by mailing a paper package to the correct USCIS Lockbox. You’ll include supporting documents that prove your identity and immigration status, two passport-style photos, and a filing fee that depends on your eligibility category and filing method. The single most important entry on the form is your eligibility category code, because it tells USCIS the legal basis for your request and drives everything else about your case.¹

First, Confirm You Actually Need to File

U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents don’t file Form I-765; they prove their right to work with a passport or green card. Some other groups—including asylees, refugees, and certain E and L-1 dependent spouses—are already authorized to work by status, though some still request an EAD as convenient proof.²

H-1B and other employer-specific visa workers don’t get an EAD either; the visa itself ties them to the employer. Form I-765 is the path for people who must affirmatively ask permission to work: asylum applicants, adjustment-of-status applicants, DACA recipients, TPS beneficiaries, F-1 students on OPT, and others.³

Find Your Eligibility Category Code

Part 2, Item 27 of Form I-765 asks for a code such as (c)(8), (c)(9), or (c)(33). That code identifies your legal basis for work authorization and controls which supporting documents you need, which fee you owe, which Lockbox you mail to, and whether you can file online. Common codes include:

(c)(8) for applicants with a pending asylum application
(c)(9) for adjustment-of-status applicants
(c)(33) for DACA recipients
(c)(3)(A), (B), and (C) for F-1 students on pre-completion OPT, post-completion OPT, and the 24-month STEM OPT extension
A12 and C19 for TPS beneficiaries

Entering the wrong code often leads to a denial or a long delay. Check it against the current Form I-765 instructions before filing.⁴

Documents to Send with Form I-765

Download the current Form I-765 from the USCIS website or file through your online account. USCIS rejects outdated editions. Complete every field; if a question doesn’t apply, write “N/A” rather than leaving it blank.⁴

On the form itself you’ll list your full legal name and any other names you’ve used, a U.S. mailing address where the card can be sent, your A-Number if you have one, and your current immigration status. The form also has a section where you can request a Social Security number card at the same time. If USCIS approves your application, the Social Security Administration mails your SSN card separately, typically within 14 days after your EAD arrives.⁵

Every application, regardless of category, needs three things:

Two identical recent passport-style color photos, 2 by 2 inches, full frontal view against a white or off-white background.
A copy of your current EAD (front and back) if you have one; if not, a copy of a government-issued photo ID such as a passport, national ID, or a birth certificate paired with a photo ID.
Proof of immigration status: your Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record), a passport, or another travel document.⁴

Then add whatever your category requires. Pending asylum applicants include the USCIS acknowledgment of receipt and any interview notices. Adjustment-of-status filers under (c)(9) include a copy of the Form I-485 receipt notice or other evidence the adjustment case is pending. DACA applicants under (c)(33) must also complete Form I-765WS, a short worksheet listing annual income, annual expenses, and total assets to show economic need; supporting financial documents are optional but reviewed if submitted.⁶

Filing Fees

For many categories, the fee is $520 on paper or $470 online. Several categories carry different amounts as of January 1, 2026:⁷

Initial asylum-applicant EAD: $560
Renewal asylum-applicant EAD: $275
Initial parole EAD: $560
Renewal or extension parole EAD: $280
Initial TPS EAD: $560
Renewal or extension TPS EAD: $280

Verify the amount against the current USCIS fee schedule before you file. If the payment is wrong, USCIS will reject the entire package.⁸

How to Pay

Online filers pay through Pay.gov by credit card, debit card, or electronic bank transfer. Paper filers can send a personal check or money order payable to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security,” or pay by credit or debit card by attaching Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions, to the top of the package.

Form G-1450 accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover cards issued by a U.S. bank. Foreign-issued cards and gift cards are not accepted, and Treasury caps card transactions at $24,999.99 per day. If a card is declined, USCIS does not try a second charge and may reject the package for lack of payment.⁹

If You Can’t Afford the Fee

You can request a waiver by filing Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, with your application. You qualify if you or a qualifying family member currently receives a means-tested benefit such as Medicaid or SNAP, if your household income is at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or if you can document a financial hardship such as significant medical bills. If USCIS denies the waiver, it returns the entire application and you’ll need to refile with full payment.¹⁰

Online or Paper

Online filing goes through a free USCIS account. You upload documents, pay in the same session, and receive instant confirmation of receipt along with a downloadable copy of what you submitted. Online filing is available for many, but not all, eligibility categories.

Paper filing means mailing the completed form, supporting documents, photos, and payment to a specific USCIS Lockbox. The correct address depends on your category and where you live, and the “Where to File” section of the I-765 page on the USCIS website is the authoritative source. A package sent to the wrong address can be delayed or rejected.¹

What Happens After You File

USCIS sends Form I-797C, Notice of Action, once it accepts your application. The notice carries a 13-character receipt number you can use to check case status online. Keep it. Renewal applicants may need to show it to employers as evidence of continued work authorization.¹¹

Some applicants get a notice scheduling a biometrics appointment at a local Application Support Center for fingerprints, a digital photo, and a signature. USCIS may reuse existing biometrics if they’re less than 36 months old, so not everyone is called in. Bring the notice and a valid photo ID if you are.

Processing times vary by category and office. USCIS publishes current estimates at egov.uscis.gov/processing-times, and you can check your own case with the receipt number from the I-797C.

The case ends one of two ways. If USCIS needs more, it sends a Request for Evidence stating exactly what’s missing and a deadline; respond in full and on time, or the case can be denied. If everything is in order, USCIS approves the application and mails the card to the address you provided.

Card Validity and Why Timing Matters Now

Starting in late 2025, USCIS shortened validity for newly issued EADs in several categories. Cards for refugees (A03), asylees (A05), recipients of withholding of removal (A10), asylum or withholding-of-removal applicants (C08), adjustment-of-status applicants (C09), and applicants for cancellation of removal or suspension of deportation (C10) are now valid for a maximum of 18 months. Parole-based and TPS-based EADs—A04, A12, C11, C19, and C34—are valid for the shorter of one year or the end of the authorized parole period or TPS designation.¹²

The automatic renewal extension for timely-filed renewals ended on October 30, 2025. Renewals filed on or after that date do not receive the up-to-540-day extension while pending. One exception remains: TPS beneficiaries in categories A12 and C19 may receive an automatic extension of up to one year or the remaining duration of TPS, whichever is shorter, when a timely renewal is filed.¹³

If you filed a renewal before October 30, 2025 and it’s still pending, the earlier rules apply to your case, and you can show your expired EAD together with the I-797C receipt notice as continued proof of work authorization.¹⁴

For everyone else, a gap in work authorization is now a real possibility if the renewal isn’t decided before the current card expires. USCIS accepts renewals up to 180 days before expiration and recommends filing at least 90 days out. File as early in that window as you can.¹

Premium Processing

Premium processing guarantees USCIS action within 30 business days, but for Form I-765 it’s available only to F-1 students in three OPT categories: (c)(3)(A) pre-completion OPT, (c)(3)(B) post-completion OPT, and (c)(3)(C) 24-month STEM OPT extension. File Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, with your I-765. The premium processing fee is $1,780 effective March 1, 2026, on top of the standard filing fee.¹⁵

“Action” here means an approval, denial, RFE, or notice of intent to deny, not necessarily a final decision. If USCIS misses the 30-day window, it refunds the premium fee and keeps processing the case.¹⁶

Don’t Travel Without Checking First

An EAD is not a travel document; it authorizes work, not reentry. Leaving the country while your application is pending carries category-specific risk. If you have a pending adjustment-of-status application, departing without advance parole generally causes USCIS to treat both the adjustment case and the EAD application as abandoned.¹⁷

DACA recipients face similar risks; travel without advance parole can terminate deferred action and complicate reentry, and advance parole can only be requested after a DACA approval, using Form I-131. Some nonimmigrants who hold a visa that independently allows reentry (such as H-4 or L-2) may be able to travel without disturbing a pending EAD, but the consequences of guessing wrong are serious. Get advice specific to your category before you leave.

If USCIS Denies Your Application

There’s no formal appeal from a denied Form I-765, but you have two paths. You can file Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion, within 30 days of the denial (33 days if USCIS mailed it), asking either to reopen the case based on new facts or evidence, or to reconsider whether USCIS correctly applied the law to the existing record. You can also simply file a new Form I-765 if you still meet the eligibility rules; refiling with corrected or stronger documentation is often faster than pursuing a motion.¹⁸

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-765, Application for Employment Authorization
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 10, Part A, Chapter 2 – Eligibility Requirements
3
eCFR. 8 CFR 274a.12 – Classes of Aliens Authorized to Accept Employment
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-765, Instructions for Application for Employment Authorization
5
Social Security Administration. Apply For Your Social Security Card While Applying For Your Work Permit, Lawful Permanent Residency, or U.S. Naturalization
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-765 Worksheet
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Announces FY 2026 Inflation Increase for Certain Immigration-Related Fees
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule
9
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Pay With a Credit Card by Mail
10
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-912, Instructions for Request for Fee Waiver
11
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797C, Notice of Action
12
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Reduced Validity Periods for Newly Issued Employment Authorization Documents
13
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Automatic Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Extension
14
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 5.1 Automatic Extensions Based on a Timely Filed Application to Renew Employment Authorization
15
Federal Register. Adjustment to Premium Processing Fees
16
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. How Do I Request Premium Processing?
17
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 3, Part B, Chapter 12 – Travel Outside the United States
18
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 10, Part A, Chapter 4 – Adjudication