An Employment Authorization Document, or EAD, is a card issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that proves a noncitizen is legally allowed to work in the United States for a set period. Officially called Form I-766, the card carries your photo, name, date of birth, immigration category, and a USCIS number, and it serves as both proof of work authorization and a photo ID. Employers rely on it to satisfy federal hiring rules, and many noncitizens cannot legally start a job without one in hand.
Not everyone with permission to work needs to apply for the card, though. Some people are authorized to work by their status alone; others must file for the EAD before an employer can hire them. Which group you fall into is the first thing to sort out.
Who Needs an EAD
Federal rules split work-eligible noncitizens into three broad groups.
The first group is authorized to work as a condition of status. Refugees admitted under the Immigration and Nationality Act and people granted asylum fall here. They can work without a separate grant of permission, though they still need the physical card to show employers.
The second group has to apply because status doesn’t include work authorization by default. This is the largest group and covers people with a pending green card application (Form I-485), asylum seekers waiting on a decision, recipients of Temporary Protected Status, DACA recipients, and F-1 students approved for Optional Practical Training. Each category has its own eligibility code and its own filing requirements.
The third group covers case-by-case grants, such as certain parolees admitted for humanitarian reasons, where an immigration judge or USCIS has separately authorized employment.
One boundary worth naming: temporary work visa holders like H-1B or L-1 workers are authorized to work for a specific sponsor by virtue of their visa and do not use an EAD in the same way. The EAD system is built for the categories above, not for employer-sponsored temporary workers.
How to Apply Using Form I-765
The EAD application is Form I-765, filed with USCIS. The form asks for personal information, immigration history, and details about your current status. The single most important field is the three-character eligibility category code. Asylum seekers with a pending application use (c)(8), pending adjustment of status applicants use (c)(9), and F-1 students on post-completion OPT use (c)(3)(B), for example. The wrong code gets the whole application rejected, so check it against the form instructions before filing.
Supporting Documents
Beyond the form itself, you’ll need to put together:
- Two identical color passport-style photos, 2 by 2 inches, printed on glossy paper with a white or off-white background and a frontal view of your face. Write your name and A-Number lightly in pencil on the back of each.
- A copy of a government-issued photo ID, such as your passport or a prior EAD.
- Proof of immigration status, which varies by category. Pending green card applicants include the Form I-797C receipt notice; visitors include their Form I-94 arrival record.
- Category-specific evidence. F-1 students need documentation from their designated school official. TPS applicants need proof of nationality and continuous presence. The form instructions include a checklist for each category.
Requesting a Social Security Number at the Same Time
Form I-765 has a section where you can request an original Social Security Number and card. If you complete it, USCIS sends your information to the Social Security Administration after approving your EAD. Two mailings arrive at the address on your application: the EAD first, then the SSN card about seven business days later. If the SSN card doesn’t show up in that window, contact your local Social Security field office.
Filing Online or by Mail
USCIS offers a guided online workflow for several common categories, including F-1 OPT students under (c)(3)(A), (c)(3)(B), and (c)(3)(C); asylum applicants under (c)(8); TPS holders under (a)(12); parolees under (c)(11); and DACA applicants under (c)(33). Adjustment of status applicants under (c)(9) can upload a completed PDF but cannot use the guided workflow. If your category isn’t listed for online filing, you’ll mail to a USCIS Lockbox; the correct address depends on your category and where you live, so check the direct filing addresses page before sending anything.
Filing Fees and How to Pay
The 2026 filing fees for common categories are:
- Initial EAD for asylum applicants, TPS, and parolees: $560
- Renewal or extension for parole or TPS: $280
- Renewal for asylum applicants: $275
Some categories are fee-exempt, and USCIS waives the fee automatically for them. For categories that do require payment, you may be able to request a waiver by filing Form I-912 if you receive a means-tested benefit like Medicaid, SNAP, or SSI, or if your income is too low to afford the fee. DACA applicants are not eligible for fee waivers. If your category is fee-exempt and you’re filing on paper, mail the form rather than using the online PDF upload, which requires a payment.
A recent payment change trips up many applicants. As of October 28, 2025, USCIS no longer accepts personal checks, money orders, or cashier’s checks for paper filings. Mailed applications now have to pay by credit or debit card using Form G-1450, or by bank account transfer using Form G-1650. The only exception is a paper payment exemption through Form G-1651.
What Happens After You File
USCIS mails a Form I-797C receipt notice confirming the case is open. It carries a 13-character receipt number you can use to check case status online. Some applicants have to attend a biometrics appointment at an Application Support Center for fingerprints and a digital photo; if so, a separate notice arrives with the date, time, and location. Once USCIS finishes the background check and eligibility review, it approves or denies the application. Approved cards are mailed to the address on file. Processing times vary widely by category and service center, sometimes running from a few months to well over a year.
How Long an EAD Lasts
Validity depends on your category, and a significant policy change took effect on December 5, 2025. Before that date, adjustment of status applicants, refugees, asylees, and asylum seekers with pending cases could receive EADs valid for up to five years. The maximum validity for those categories has since dropped to 18 months. The change applies to any application pending or filed on or after December 5, 2025. EADs already issued with a five-year validity remain valid through their printed expiration date.
The affected categories are refugees (a)(3), asylees (a)(5), people granted withholding of removal (a)(10), pending asylum applicants (c)(8), pending adjustment of status applicants (c)(9), and people with pending cancellation of removal (c)(10). Other categories often carry one- or two-year validity periods.
In practical terms, applicants who used to go years without a renewal will now be back at Form I-765 roughly every 18 months.
Renewing an EAD
USCIS recommends filing a renewal up to 180 days before the current card expires. The renewal uses the same Form I-765 with the “renewal” box checked, and much of the same supporting documentation.
The gap between an old card expiring and a new one arriving used to be cushioned by an automatic 540-day extension. That cushion is largely gone. An interim final rule effective October 30, 2025, ended the automatic extension for renewals filed on or after that date. The remaining exceptions are extensions provided by law or through Federal Register notices for TPS-related employment documents.
Renewals filed before October 30, 2025 still get the 540-day extension, running from the printed expiration date until USCIS decides the renewal, whichever comes first. For renewals filed after that date, a card still in processing when the old one expires can mean a gap in work authorization. Filing as early as possible within the 180-day window matters more now than it ever has.
Working Without an EAD
The consequences of working without authorization reach well beyond the job itself. Under federal immigration law, unauthorized employment can bar you from adjusting your status to permanent residency. The bar applies to any work performed during your time in the United States, not just your most recent stay, and leaving the country and coming back does not reset it.
Some categories are exempt, including immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, applicants under the Violence Against Women Act, special immigrant juveniles, and certain members of the U.S. armed forces. Employment-based applicants may qualify for a limited exemption. For most people, though, the risk of derailing a future green card application makes waiting for the EAD the only sensible option, however frustrating the wait becomes.