I-765

Application for Employment Authorization

Agency
USCIS
Revision
Edition 08/21/25
Fillable fields
161
Pages
7
Official source
USCIS form page
Checked
October 14, 2026
Fill I-765 online
Page 1 of form I-765

Form I-765: Application for Employment Authorization

Form I-765 is the application for an Employment Authorization Document, or EAD, the card that shows you may work in the United States. Some people need permission from USCIS before they can work. Others are already authorized through their status and use the form only to get a card as proof.

The form uses an eligibility category code, such as (a)(3) for a refugee or (c)(9) for someone with a pending adjustment of status application. That code is the most important answer on the form because it decides your evidence and where you file.

USCIS says an approved card should be produced within about 2 weeks and mailed by Priority Mail, and to allow 30 days from approval before asking about a missing card.

The title area of Form I-765 (edition 08/21/25) with the form name, agency and OMB number

What's on Form I-765

Part 1: Reason for applying

Choose one: initial permission to work, replacement of a lost, stolen or damaged EAD or a correction not due to USCIS error, or renewal. Renewal requires a copy of the previous EAD.

Part 2: Information about you

Legal name, other names used, a valid U.S. mailing address where the card will be sent, identity and immigration details, and your eligibility category in Item 27.

Part 3: Applicant's statement, contact information and signature

Your declaration, contact details and signature.

Part 4: Interpreter

Information and certification for anyone who read the form to you.

Part 5: Preparer

Information, declaration and signature of anyone other than you who prepared the form.

Part 6: Additional information

Extra space if an answer does not fit.

How to fill out Form I-765

  1. 1

    Select your reason in Part 1

    Pick the one box that fits. Renewals attach a copy of the previous EAD.

    Part 1 of Form I-765 with the renewal of my permission to accept employment box checked
  2. 2

    Enter your full legal name

    Use the name on your birth certificate or legal name-change document, and list every other name you have used, including maiden names and aliases.

    Part 2 items 1.a to 1.c of Form I-765 with a sample legal name entered
  3. 3

    Give a safe U.S. mailing address

    Your card goes to this address. Do not use your lawyer's address unless you want the card sent there. Victims of abuse or trafficking may give a safe address.

    Part 2 Item 5 of Form I-765 with a sample U.S. mailing address and an in-care-of line
  4. 4

    Type your eligibility category in Item 27

    Enter one category only. A refugee writes (a)(3). A person with a pending asylum application writes (c)(8), while someone already granted asylum uses (a)(5).

    Part 2 Item 27 of Form I-765 with the category (a)(3) typed in for a refugee
  5. 5

    Attach evidence

    A copy of your Form I-94, passport or travel document, a copy of your last EAD or, if you never had one, a government photo ID, and two identical color passport-style photographs. Add the category-specific papers the instructions list.

    Items 17 to 21 of Form I-765 with sample Form I-94, passport number and expiration date entered from the evidence
  6. 6

    Sign and file

    Sign in Part 3. You can fill the form online free on this page and print it for signature, or file through a USCIS account where available.

    The applicant signature and date lines in Part 3 of Form I-765 with a sample signature entered

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When and where to file, fees and mistakes

When to renew

USCIS generally recommends filing to renew up to 180 days before your current EAD expires. The form page also says to file a renewal at least 90 days before expiration. It generally does not backdate or postdate a renewal.

Timing by category

Some categories have special timing. Asylum applicants under (c)(8) must wait 150 days after filing, and USCIS can issue the card after 180 days in total. Category (c)(9) applicants file with Form I-485 or send the receipt notice showing it is pending.

Where to file

The address depends on your reason and the category in Item 27. USCIS changed the I-765 filing location on Oct. 7, 2026 and allows a grace period to Nov. 9, 2026. See its filing locations page.

Fee

The fee depends on your category and is on the USCIS Fee Schedule page. USCIS announced inflation-adjusted fees for some H.R.-1 fees from Oct. 16, 2026, so check it on the day you file.

Edition notice

USCIS posted that it continues to accept the 08/21/25 edition and is not accepting a 09/15/26 edition while a court order is in effect. Confirm the current edition on the form page.

Common mistakes

Entering two categories, leaving out the photos or I-94 copy, filing a (c)(8) request before the waiting period ends, and forgetting to update your mailing address after you file.

Related forms

Who needs to fill out Form I-765?

  • People in a listed eligibility category

    Refugees, asylees, asylum applicants, adjustment of status applicants, parolees, students on OPT, certain nonimmigrant spouses, and others listed in the instructions. You choose one category and enter it in Part 2, Item 27.

  • People who already have work authorization with their status

    Asylees and refugees can work as soon as they have status, but may still apply for a card as proof.

  • People renewing or replacing a card

    Use the form to renew an expiring EAD or replace a lost, stolen, damaged or incorrect one.

  • Who should not use it

    Lawful permanent residents, conditional permanent residents, and nonimmigrants authorized to work only for a specific employer do not use Form I-765.

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Questions about Form I-765

How do I know which category code to use?

The instructions list every category by group, such as asylee and refugee, student, and adjustment applicant. Pick the one that matches your status and enter only that one in Item 27.

Can I work while my application is pending?

It depends on your category. For some, such as refugees, work authorization comes with status. For others, such as parolees and deferred action, you can work only after USCIS approves the application.

How long does the card take after approval?

USCIS says it should be produced within 2 weeks and mailed, and asks you to allow a total of 30 days from approval before inquiring.

Can I file Form I-765 with Form I-485?

Yes. For category (c)(9) you file it together with Form I-485, or send your I-485 receipt notice if filing separately.

Do I need photographs?

Yes, two identical color passport-style photos that are unmounted and unretouched, per the instructions.