A US work permit, formally called an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), is a card issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that proves you can legally work in the United States. You apply for one by filing Form I-765. If USCIS approves the application, the card arrives by mail with a printed expiration date, and you must renew it before that date if you still need work authorization. Rule changes in late 2025 and early 2026 shortened how long many new cards last and ended the automatic extension that used to protect renewal filers, so the timing of your filing matters more than it did a year ago.
Who Qualifies for an EAD
Federal regulations sort work-authorized noncitizens into dozens of categories, each with a code you enter on Form I-765. Two broad groups exist: people whose immigration status already carries work authorization, and people who have to apply for permission before accepting any job.
Refugees admitted under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act use category (a)(3), and asylees under section 208 use (a)(5).1eCFR. 8 CFR 274a.12 – Classes of Aliens Authorized to Accept Employment Both can work as soon as status is granted, but they still need the physical card for the Form I-9 process most employers use to verify eligibility.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders fall under (a)(12) for the duration of their country’s designation.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Temporary Protected Status and Deferred Enforced Departure
Most applicants sit in the second group. Common codes include:
- (c)(3) for F-1 students seeking Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows up to 12 months of work in a job related to your field of study, plus a 24-month STEM extension for qualifying degrees if you have a paid position of at least 20 hours per week with an E-Verify employer and a completed I-983 Training Plan.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 Students
- (c)(9) for people with a pending Form I-485 adjustment of status application.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Employment Authorization – Section: Form I-765 Category
- (c)(11) for parolees admitted for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. DHS can terminate parole and revoke the EAD.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. New Status Change Report Allows Agencies To Review SAVE Cases Affected by DHS Parole Terminations
- (c)(26) for H-4 dependent spouses whose H-1B spouse has an approved Form I-140 or holds H-1B status under the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-first Century Act.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Employment Authorization for Certain H-4 Dependent Spouses
- (c)(33) for DACA recipients. As of early 2026, USCIS accepts and processes DACA renewals and their EAD applications, and accepts but does not process initial DACA requests under a court order. Existing grants stay valid until they expire unless individually terminated.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
Enter the correct code. A wrong or missing category almost always causes USCIS to reject the entire application.
What You Need to File Form I-765
Form I-765 asks for your full legal name, any other names you have used, and a mailing address where USCIS can deliver the card. It also asks for your Alien Registration Number (A-Number), a seven-to-nine-digit identifier beginning with “A” that appears on prior immigration documents such as a visa stamp or earlier EAD.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. A-Number/Alien Registration Number/Alien Number Most applicants also need their Form I-94 Arrival-Departure Record number.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Checklist of Required Initial Evidence for Form I-765
Send these supporting documents with the form:
- Two identical passport-style color photographs, taken recently, with a white or off-white background and no head covering unless required by religion.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-765 Instructions
- A copy of a government-issued photo ID, such as the biographical page of your passport or a previous EAD.
- Evidence of your underlying immigration status, which varies by category. Students provide Form I-20, adjustment applicants provide the I-485 receipt notice, and so on. The USCIS evidence checklist lists what each category requires.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Checklist of Required Initial Evidence for Form I-765
How to File
Online filing is available for a growing set of categories. As of 2026, the guided online workflow covers (a)(12), (c)(3), (c)(8), (c)(11), and (c)(33), with a PDF upload option for those categories plus (c)(9).12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Forms Available to File Online Categories that are not eligible for online filing must be mailed to the appropriate USCIS lockbox.
USCIS updated its fee schedule effective March 1, 2026. The exact filing fee depends on when you submit, so check the current schedule at uscis.gov/g-1055 before you send anything.13U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service Submitting the wrong fee is a common reason applications come back unprocessed.
Fee waivers exist, but only for categories (a)(12), (c)(8), (c)(11), (c)(19), and (c)(34). If you qualify, file Form I-912 with proof of household income or means-tested benefits.14U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Additional Information on Filing a Fee Waiver Categories not on that list pay the full fee regardless of finances.
If You Need a Faster Decision
Premium processing is available for certain I-765 categories. Filing Form I-907 with your I-765 guarantees USCIS will act within 30 business days. Acting means an approval, denial, request for evidence, or notice of intent to deny, not necessarily an approval.15U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. How Do I Request Premium Processing? If USCIS misses the deadline, it refunds the premium fee.
As of March 1, 2026, the premium processing fee for OPT and STEM-OPT I-765 filings is $1,780, on top of the base filing fee.16U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS to Increase Premium Processing Fees Premium processing is not offered for every category, so confirm before paying.
What Happens After You File
USCIS mails a Form I-797C, Notice of Action, confirming receipt and giving you a case number for online tracking.17U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797C, Notice of Action Some applicants receive a second notice for a biometrics appointment at an Application Support Center to provide fingerprints and a photograph.
Processing times vary by category. Through February 2026, medians run from under a month for pending asylum applications to roughly six months for parole-based filings, with most other categories around four months. These are medians, not guarantees, and requests for evidence or shifting workloads can push individual cases well beyond them.18U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Historic Processing Times When approved, the card arrives by mail and is valid until the expiration date on its face.
Form I-765 also has a section for requesting a Social Security Number. Complete it and USCIS forwards your information to the Social Security Administration, so no separate SSA visit is needed. The Social Security card is mailed separately and typically arrives within about two weeks of the EAD; if it does not, contact your local Social Security office.19Social Security Administration. Apply For Your Social Security Number While Applying For Your Work Permit and/or Lawful Permanent Residency
Renewing Your EAD After the 2025 Changes
You renew by filing another Form I-765 with the current fee. Two policy changes from late 2025 reshape this step.
Automatic Extensions Are Largely Gone
Before October 30, 2025, filing a timely renewal automatically extended the validity of your existing EAD while USCIS processed the new one. An interim final rule effective October 30, 2025, ended that automatic extension for most categories.20Federal Register. Removal of the Automatic Extension of Employment Authorization Documents Limited exceptions remain for certain TPS-related employment documentation.21U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. DHS Ends Automatic Extension of Employment Authorization
If you filed your renewal before October 30, 2025 and received a receipt notice while your card was still valid, that automatic extension continues. Renewals filed on or after that date do not. Your work authorization can lapse between the old card’s expiration and the new card’s approval. USCIS now recommends filing renewals up to 180 days before the expiration date to reduce the risk of a gap.
Shorter Validity for New and Renewed Cards
A separate change effective December 5, 2025 cut the maximum validity of EADs in several categories:22U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Employment Authorization Validity – Policy Alert
- Refugees, asylees, and pending adjustment or asylum applicants: up to 18 months, down from as much as 5 years.
- Parolees: the shorter of 1 year or the end of the authorized parole period.
- TPS holders: the shorter of 1 year or the length of the TPS designation.
Shorter validity means more frequent renewals, and with no automatic extension to fall back on, mark the expiration date the day the card arrives and calendar your next filing well ahead of it.
Replacing a Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Card
Replacements go through Form I-765 with the applicable filing fee. This is a new application, not a reprint, and it moves through the standard processing timeline.23U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Employment Authorization Document If USCIS mailed a card that never arrived, you can submit a non-delivery inquiry on the USCIS website before filing for a replacement. A fee waiver may be available if your category qualifies.
Why You Cannot Work While the Card Is Expired
Working without a valid EAD or other authorization can bar you from adjusting to permanent resident status, sometimes permanently. Federal law creates one bar for accepting unauthorized work before filing for adjustment and a separate, broader bar for having ever worked without authorization.24Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1255 – Adjustment of Status of Nonimmigrant to That of Person Admitted for Permanent Residence USCIS looks at your entire US history, not just your most recent entry, and leaving and returning does not erase the bar.25U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual – Chapter 6, Unauthorized Employment
Narrow exceptions exist for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and certain employment-based immigrants who were lawfully admitted and did not engage in unauthorized work for more than 180 days total.24Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1255 – Adjustment of Status of Nonimmigrant to That of Person Admitted for Permanent Residence Outside those exceptions, a lapse can close your path to a green card entirely. This is where a missed renewal turns into a lasting problem.
Report Any Address Change Within 10 Days
If you move while your application is pending or while your card is active, file Form AR-11 online within 10 days.26U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card Miss this and you can miss biometrics appointments, requests for evidence, or the EAD card itself. The requirement covers most noncitizens, with narrow exceptions for diplomats on A or G visas and visa waiver visitors.