New York · est. 2013Saturday, September 5, 2026
Inside Immigration

Plain-language guides to US immigration, asylum and USCIS procedure.

Formularios · Status and documents

Employment authorisation document

The EAD is the card that proves someone may work in the United States. It is not a status - it comes from an underlying eligibility such as a pending green card application, asylum application, TPS, DACA, or parole. The category code on Form I-765 decides the fee, the validity period, and whether a fee waiver is possible.

Tiempo habitual: 3.7 months for most categories in FY 2026, 0.7 months on a pending asylum application, 5.1 months on a pending I-485, and 5.9 months on parole.Tarifas: $0 to $520 depending on the category, plus a non-waivable $280 or $560 Public Law 119-21 fee in TPS, asylum and parole categories.

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Para quién es. Anyone with an eligibility category that allows an EAD, and their employers who need to verify it.

Los formularios, en orden

2 formularios
I-765I-9
  1. 1

    Identify the correct eligibility category code

    Quién
    The applicant
    Cuándo
    Before filing
    Tarifa
    $0

    The code drives everything. Filing under the wrong one is the most common reason for rejection.

  2. 2

    File Form I-765 online or by mail

    I-765

    Quién
    The applicant
    Cuándo
    Renewals should be filed as early as the category allows
    Tarifa
    $520 paper or $470 online in most categories; $260 with a pending I-485 filed with a fee on or after April 1, 2024; $0 for refugees, asylees, T and U holders, SIJs, VAWA self-petitioners and several others; plus a $560 or $280 Public Law 119-21 fee in TPS, ABC asylum and parolee categories

    Fee waiver on Form I-912 is available for the USCIS fee in most categories but never for a Public Law 119-21 fee.

  3. 3

    Attend biometrics if scheduled

    Quién
    The applicant
    Cuándo
    Varies
    Tarifa
    Included
  4. 4

    Receive the card and complete Form I-9 with your employer

    I-9

    Quién
    The worker and the employer
    Cuándo
    3.7 months national median in FY 2026 for most categories
    Tarifa
    $0

    The EAD is a List A document for I-9 purposes.

  5. 5

    Renew before expiry

    I-765

    Quién
    The worker
    Cuándo
    As early as the category permits - automatic extensions no longer apply in most categories
    Tarifa
    The same fee schedule

    A late renewal now means an actual gap in work authorisation.

Dónde suele fallar

  • The end of automatic EAD extensions in 2025 means a late renewal stops work legally, and employers must act on it.
  • The Public Law 119-21 fees are separate payments and cannot be combined with the filing fee.
  • An EAD is not status; it can be valid while the underlying case collapses.
  • Employers cannot demand a specific document for I-9 purposes - doing so is document abuse.

Qué cambió en 2025 y 2026

  • A 2025 interim final rule ended automatic extensions of most EADs on renewal.
  • Public Law 119-21 added $560 initial and $280 renewal fees for TPS, ABC asylum, parolee and TPS-applicant EAD categories.
  • As of February 5, 2026 the parolee EAD fees do not apply to Ms. L. v. ICE settlement class members.
  • Form I-765 has an 08/21/25 edition.

Trámites relacionados

Fuentes: uscis.gov · uscis.gov · egov.uscis.gov · uscis.gov