Employment Authorization Document

A Form I-766 employment permission file (EAD; [1] or EAD card, known widely as a work license, is a document provided by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that provides temporary work authorization to noncitizens in the United States.


Currently the Form I-766 Employment Authorization Document is released in the form of a standard credit card-size plastic card boosted with several security features. The card contains some basic info about the immigrant: name, birth date, sex, immigrant classification, nation of birth, picture, immigrant registration number (likewise called "A-number"), card number, restrictive conditions, and dates of validity. This document, however, need to not be confused with the green card.


Obtaining an EAD


To request a Work Authorization Document, noncitizens who certify might file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. Applicants must then send out the type through mail to the USCIS Regional Service Center that serves their area. If approved, an Employment Authorization Document will be issued for a particular time period based upon alien's migration situation.


Thereafter, USCIS will release Employment Authorization Documents in the following classifications:


Renewal Employment Authorization Document: the renewal process takes the exact same amount of time as a first-time application so the noncitizen may need to plan ahead and ask for the renewal 3 to 4 months before expiration date.
Replacement Employment Authorization Document: Replaces a lost, taken, or mutilated EAD. A replacement Employment Authorization Document likewise replaces a Work Authorization Document that was provided with inaccurate info, such as a misspelled name.