An employment authorization card, also called an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) or work permit, is a photo ID card issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that proves a noncitizen’s legal right to work in the United States for a specific period.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Employment Authorization Document To get one, you file Form I-765 with USCIS under the eligibility category that matches your immigration status. The card lets you work for any employer in any occupation while it remains valid.
Who Qualifies for a Work Permit
Eligibility depends on your immigration status. Common groups that use the EAD include:
- Refugees and asylees. Refugees receive work authorization upon admission; asylees receive it upon a grant of asylum.
- Asylum applicants. You may file for a work permit 150 days after submitting your asylum application, but USCIS will not approve it until the application has been pending for at least 180 days. Delays you cause do not count toward those 180 days.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The 180-Day Asylum EAD Clock Notice
- Green card applicants with a pending Form I-485, who file under category (c)(9) to keep working while they wait.
- F-1 students pursuing Optional Practical Training (OPT) after graduation, who file under category (c)(3)(B).3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-765 Instructions
- Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and DACA recipients.
- Certain dependent spouses of H-1B, L-1, and E visa holders.
Each category carries a specific code — for example, (a)(5) for granted asylees or (c)(8) for pending asylum applicants — and the code decides both eligibility and whether you owe a fee. Picking the wrong one is one of the fastest routes to a rejection, so check the current Form I-765 instructions before filing.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Volume 10 – Employment Authorization, Part B, Chapter 1
How to File Form I-765
Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, is available on the USCIS website. Many categories allow online filing through a USCIS account; others require paper filing to a USCIS Lockbox, and the correct address depends on your category and where you live.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization
The form asks for your full legal name, any other names you have used, your current mailing address, and your date of birth. Include your Alien Registration Number or USCIS Online Account Number if you have one, so USCIS can match your records. In Part 2, you enter the eligibility category code that fits your status.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-765, Application for Employment Authorization
You will need to submit:
- Two identical passport-style photographs, unmounted and unretouched.
- Proof of identity, usually a copy of your passport biographical page or a prior EAD. A government-issued ID works if you have never held an EAD.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Checklist of Required Initial Evidence for Form I-765
- Proof of lawful entry, typically your Form I-94 Arrival-Departure Record, printable from the CBP website.8U.S. Customs and Border Protection. I-94/I-95 Website
- The receipt notice for any pending application your work authorization depends on, such as Form I-485 or Form I-589.
After USCIS receives your filing, it sends a Form I-797C, Notice of Action, that works as your receipt and gives you a case number for online tracking.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797C, Notice of Action Keep it. USCIS may then schedule a biometrics appointment at a local Application Support Center for fingerprints and a photo; bring the appointment notice and a valid photo ID.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Preparing for Your Biometric Services Appointment Missing it without rescheduling can stall your case.
Lying on Form I-765, or any federal form, is a crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1001, with penalties up to five years in prison and possible denial of current and future immigration benefits.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 1001 – Statements or Entries Generally
Requesting a Social Security Number on the Same Form
Form I-765 has a section to request a Social Security Number without a separate trip to a Social Security office. If you fill it in with your name, date of birth, parents’ names, and country of birth, USCIS forwards your information to the Social Security Administration after your EAD is approved. Your SSN card should arrive by mail within 14 days of your work permit.12Social Security Administration. Apply For Your Social Security Number While Applying For Your Work Permit and/or Lawful Permanent Residency If it does not, contact your local Social Security office.
Fees, Exemptions, and Waivers
The filing fee for Form I-765 varies by category and filing method. USCIS adjusts its fee schedule periodically, and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R.-1) introduced additional fees for certain categories, such as parolees, that USCIS cannot waive.13U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 4 – Fee Waivers and Fee Exemptions Check the current USCIS fee schedule before you file.
Some applicants owe nothing. Refugees, asylees, T and U visa holders, VAWA self-petitioners, TPS applicants, and special immigrant juveniles are fee-exempt, so no waiver request is needed.
If you are not exempt but cannot afford the fee, you can request a waiver on Form I-912.14U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-912, Request for Fee Waiver USCIS considers three grounds: you or a household member receives a means-tested benefit such as SNAP, Medicaid, or SSI; your household income is at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines; or you face financial hardship such as major medical debt, homelessness, or a natural disaster.15U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-912 Request for Fee Waiver Fee waivers do not cover H.R.-1 fees, and DACA applicants cannot get a waiver on the I-765.
Faster Processing Options
Certain EAD categories, including F-1 students applying for OPT or STEM OPT extensions, can pay for premium processing by filing Form I-907 with Form I-765.16U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Request for Premium Processing Service Premium processing guarantees USCIS action within a set timeframe. The fee changed effective March 1, 2026; confirm the current amount and eligible categories on the I-907 page.
If premium processing is not an option and you have a genuine emergency, you can ask USCIS to expedite your pending application. This is discretionary, and USCIS grants requests only for specific reasons: severe financial loss to a company or an individual (simply not yet having work authorization is not enough on its own), a humanitarian emergency such as serious illness or a safety threat, a clear USCIS error, or a government interest such as public safety.17U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 5 – Expedite Requests You need documentation. Vague claims of financial pressure rarely succeed; concrete evidence of specific, imminent harm does.
How Long the Card Is Valid
Validity depends on your category, and USCIS recently shortened it for many groups. For refugees, asylees, pending asylum applicants, adjustment-of-status applicants, and others, the maximum validity period dropped from five years to 18 months.18U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Reduced Validity Periods for Newly Issued Employment Authorization Documents For TPS or parole-based status, the EAD is valid for the shorter of one year or the end date of your authorized stay.
Renewing Your Card Before It Expires
USCIS recommends filing your renewal up to 180 days (six months) before your current card expires. The renewal uses the same Form I-765 and the same supporting documents as an initial application.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Employment Authorization Document
Filing early matters more than it used to. Before October 30, 2025, a timely renewal automatically extended your work authorization for up to 540 days past the card’s expiration while the renewal was pending. An interim final rule ended that practice for all renewal applications filed on or after October 30, 2025.19U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Automatic Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Extension There is no grace period. If USCIS does not decide your renewal before your current EAD expires, you may lose the ability to work until the new card arrives. The only exception involves certain TPS-related extensions provided through Federal Register notices.
If you filed your renewal before October 30, 2025 and it is still pending, the old rules apply. Your EAD can be automatically extended for up to 540 days past its expiration date, so long as your Form I-797C receipt shows a “Received Date” before the card’s expiration and the category on the current card matches the one on the receipt. Eligible categories include refugees (A03), asylees (A05), pending asylum applicants (C08), adjustment-of-status applicants (C09), VAWA self-petitioners (C31), and certain dependent spouses of H-1B and L-1 holders (C26, A17, A18). Spouse categories are capped at 540 days or the I-94 expiration date, whichever is earlier. Show your employer the expired EAD together with the I-797C receipt as proof of continued authorization.
Replacing a Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Card
If your card is lost, stolen, or damaged, file a new Form I-765 and pay the filing fee (unless you qualify for a waiver). If USCIS mailed a card but you never received it, do not file a new application; submit a non-delivery inquiry through the USCIS website instead.
If the card arrived with a mistake USCIS caused, you do not need to file a new form or pay again. Mail the incorrect card to the USCIS Lee’s Summit Production Facility with a letter explaining the error. If the mistake came from information you provided, you must file and pay again.
Using Your Card at Work
When you start a new job, your employer must complete Form I-9 within three business days of your first day of paid work. Your EAD (Form I-766) is a List A document, which means it proves both identity and work authorization on its own.20U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-9 Acceptable Documents An employer who sees your EAD cannot demand extra documents; requiring a passport on top of an EAD, for example, can violate anti-discrimination laws.21U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 13.0 Acceptable Documents for Verifying Employment Authorization and Identity
USCIS redesigns the physical card every few years. Older card designs remain valid until the printed expiration date, and an employer cannot reject an EAD because it looks different from a newer version.
Keeping Your Address Current
Any noncitizen living in the United States, with limited exceptions for diplomats and visa waiver visitors, must report a change of address to USCIS within 10 days of moving. You can do this online with Form AR-11.22U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card Missing this step can mean missing appointment notices, requests for evidence, or your approved EAD in the mail, and USCIS does not treat a notice sent to an old address as an excuse.