EAD (Employment Authorization Document)

USCIS says certain people in the United States can file Form I-765 to request an Employment Authorization Document, and that others whose status already allows them to work can use the same form to get a card showing it. The card itself is Form I-766. An EAD proves you may work in the US; it does not license you to practice nursing or medicine, which is a matter for state boards.

Principal workers in employer-petitioned categories, such as a physician on an H-1B, work for the petitioning employer on the strength of that approval, not on an EAD.

• Nurses adjusting status inside the US: once an employer's I-140 is in place and a visa number is available, a nurse already in the US can file Form I-485 and an I-765 in category (c)(9).
• J-2 spouses of J-1 physicians: the ECFMG guide says J-2 dependents can apply to USCIS for an EAD and, once it is issued, for a Social Security number.
• Physicians with a pending National Interest Waiver green card: USCIS says interim work authorization is available while adjustment is pending. See National Interest Waiver.

1. Work out your eligibility category, such as (c)(9) for a pending adjustment of status.
2. File Form I-765 online through a USCIS account, or on paper if necessary, with the evidence the instructions list.
3. Pay the fee in Form G-1055: generally $520 on paper or $470 online. If you filed Form I-485 with a fee on or after April 1, 2024 and it is still pending, the fee is $260. If you paid an I-485 fee before April 1, 2024 and that case is pending, it is $0.
4. Attend biometrics if asked, and track the case with your I-797 receipt number.

USCIS says that from December 5, 2025 the maximum validity of new and renewed EADs for applicants for adjustment of status, category (c)(9), fell from five years to 18 months. Cards already issued for five years are not affected.

DHS also ended the automatic extension of EADs for renewals filed on or after October 30, 2025, in most categories. A final rule effective October 14, 2026 confirmed this. Before, a timely renewal could keep an expiring card valid for up to 540 days. USCIS now advises filing a renewal up to 180 days before the card expires to avoid a gap.

• Gaps in work authorization, now that renewals no longer extend an expiring card automatically. A nurse can be taken off the schedule until the new card arrives.
• Old form editions or wrong fees, which USCIS rejects.
• Mixing up the EAD and the green card. The EAD is temporary; permanent residence comes when the I-485 is approved.

See our EB-3 and Visa Bulletin pages for the wider timeline.