What Is Form I-766? EAD Card Uses, Filing, and Renewal

Form I-766 is the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issues as physical proof that a noncitizen may work in the United States for a defined period. You get one by filing Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, with supporting documents and the required fee.¹ The card also verifies your identity during hiring, so it does two jobs at once on Form I-9.

Who Needs Form I-766

You need an EAD if you are lawfully present in the United States but your status does not automatically authorize employment, or if it does authorize employment but you need a document to prove it. Common examples include asylum applicants with a pending case, applicants for adjustment of status, F-1 and M-1 students seeking off-campus work, and people granted Temporary Protected Status. Refugees and certain U-visa holders already have work authorization by status but still need the card as proof.¹

You do not need one if you are a lawful permanent resident, because your Green Card (Form I-551) already authorizes work. You also don’t need one on a nonimmigrant visa that ties employment to a specific employer, such as H-1B, L-1B, O, or P — the visa itself authorizes that job.¹

What’s on the Card

The EAD is a plastic, credit card–sized document. The front shows your full legal name, photograph, date of birth, and nine-digit alien registration number (printed without the initial “A”), along with an eligibility category code, a case receipt number, and the expiration date of your work authorization.²

The category code matters. It identifies the status or circumstance that qualifies you for work authorization, and it must match the code you entered on Form I-765. Frequently used codes include:

(c)(8) — pending asylum application filed on or after January 4, 1995
(c)(9) — pending adjustment of status (Form I-485 applicants)
(c)(10) — pending cancellation of removal or suspension of deportation
(a)(3) — refugee
(a)(5) — asylee
(a)(12) and (c)(19) — Temporary Protected Status

The full list appears in the Form I-765 instructions and at 8 CFR 274a.12. Choosing the wrong code can delay or lead to denial of your application.¹

How to Apply

File Form I-765 either on paper or through a USCIS online account.³ Along with the form, plan to submit:

Two identical passport-style color photographs, taken recently, front-facing, on thin glossy paper against a white or off-white background.
Evidence of your immigration status, such as a copy of your Form I-94, passport, or visa, depending on your category.
A government-issued identity document with your photo, name, and date of birth if you have never held an EAD before. Any foreign-language document must include a full English translation.³

The form itself asks for biographical details and information about your most recent entry, including your I-94 number, the date your authorized stay expires, and your current status or category.

Filing Fees

The fee depends on your eligibility category. For fiscal year 2026, USCIS adjusted several immigration fees for inflation. The initial EAD fee for asylum applicants, parolees, and TPS applicants is $560, and a renewal or extension for parole or TPS applicants is $280.⁴ Other categories carry different amounts, and the current USCIS Fee Schedule (Form G-1055) lists them.

Some applicants qualify for a fee waiver. USCIS allows conditional fee waivers for Form I-765 in most categories, but applicants filing under (c)(33) for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) are excluded.⁵ Certain humanitarian categories receive automatic fee exemptions listed on the G-1055.

After You File

USCIS sends a Form I-797C, Notice of Action, confirming receipt. The receipt number on that notice lets you track your case online and doubles as proof that your application is pending.⁶ Keep it.

USCIS may require you to appear at an Application Support Center within a few weeks of filing to give fingerprints, a photograph, and a signature for identity verification and FBI background checks. Missing the appointment without rescheduling can result in denial.³

Processing times vary widely by category and workload. You can check current estimates on the USCIS website by selecting your form type, category, and the office handling your case. If USCIS approves the application, the card is mailed to you or, in some cases, made available at a local office.

Premium processing is available in narrow circumstances. F-1 students applying for Optional Practical Training (OPT) or a STEM OPT extension can pay an additional $1,780 (effective March 1, 2026) for a decision within 30 days.⁷ It is not available for other EAD categories.

If the application is denied, USCIS sends a written explanation. There is no administrative appeal from an EAD denial, but you may be able to file a new application with corrected or additional evidence.⁸

Renewing the Card

USCIS recommends filing a renewal Form I-765 no more than 180 days before your current card expires and no later than 90 days before.⁹ File too early and USCIS may not accept it. File too late and you risk a gap in work authorization. The renewal packet mirrors the initial application: a new Form I-765, the applicable fee, and supporting documents.

The Automatic Extension Has Changed

USCIS previously granted a 540-day automatic extension of EAD validity to applicants in qualifying categories who filed a timely renewal. That extension applies only to renewal applications filed before October 30, 2025. Renewals filed on or after that date are not eligible.¹⁰

If you filed before October 30, 2025, and your renewal is still pending, the qualifying category codes are A03, A05, A07, A08, A10, A12, A17, A18, C08, C09, C10, C16, C19, C20, C22, C24, C26, and C31. To use the extension at work, show your employer the expired EAD together with the Form I-797C receipt notice for a timely-filed renewal in the same eligibility category.¹⁰

Replacing a Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Card

If your EAD is lost, stolen, damaged, or destroyed, file a new Form I-765 and pay the filing fee again. Include a written statement explaining what happened, and if the card was damaged rather than lost, send it in with the application.¹¹ When the mistake on the card was USCIS’s, return it for correction and the replacement is typically processed within about 30 days at no additional fee.¹

Getting a Social Security Number at the Same Time

Form I-765 lets you request a Social Security Number by checking a box. If you do, USCIS shares your data with the Social Security Administration after approval, and SSA mails your Social Security card separately to the address on your application. You do not need to visit an SSA office.¹² The card should arrive no later than 14 days after your EAD. If it doesn’t, contact your local Social Security office.

Using the EAD at a New Job

When you start work, your employer completes Form I-9 to verify identity and work authorization. The EAD is a “List A” document, meaning it covers both requirements by itself. If you present a valid EAD, your employer cannot demand additional documents.¹³ Your employer inspects the card, records the information, and keeps the completed Form I-9 in case of federal audit.¹⁴ Filing a renewal before the card expires is your responsibility.

Consequences of Working Without a Valid EAD

Unauthorized employment goes well beyond losing a paycheck. Under federal immigration law, working without authorization can bar you from adjusting to permanent resident status, even if you later become eligible through a family or employer petition. The bar reaches not only current unauthorized work but any past periods of it in the United States.¹⁵

Employers face their own exposure. A business that knowingly employs unauthorized workers can be assessed civil fines per worker and, in pattern-or-practice cases, criminal penalties including imprisonment.¹⁶ That is why most employers will end employment the moment an EAD expires without a valid renewal or extension document in hand.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Employment Authorization Document
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Redesigns Employment Authorization Document and Certificate of Citizenship to Enhance Security
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-765 Instructions for Application for Employment Authorization
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Announces FY 2026 Inflation Increase for Certain Immigration-Related Fees
5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 1, Part B, Chapter 4 – Fee Waivers and Fee Exemptions
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797C, Notice of Action
7
Federal Register. Adjustment to Premium Processing Fees
8
eCFR. 8 CFR 274a.13 – Application for Employment Authorization
9
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-765, Application for Employment Authorization
10
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Automatic Extensions Based on a Timely Filed Application to Renew Employment Authorization
11
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Immigration Documents and How to Correct, Update, or Replace Them
12
Social Security Administration. Apply For Your Social Security Card While Applying For Your Work Permit, Lawful Permanent Residency, or U.S. Naturalization
13
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-9 Acceptable Documents
14
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification
15
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 7, Part B, Chapter 6 – Unauthorized Employment
16
eCFR. 8 CFR 274a.10 – Penalties