Work permit (EAD) for Ukrainians in the US: I-765, fees, wait times, and what to do when your card expires

An EAD (Employment Authorization Document) is the US work permit card (Form I-766) that USCIS issues after you file Form I-765. The category is the code for the basis on which you were given the permit; it is in the Category field on the card.

• C11: parole (U4U, re-parole). The permit depends on valid parole.
• C19: the TPS application is still pending, but USCIS has preliminarily found that you qualify (prima facie).
• A12: TPS has already been approved.
• C08: an asylum application (I-589) has been filed.

For an employer, all these cards are the same: a List A document for Form I-9, valid until the date on the card. The difference matters for you: the category determines the fee, the validity period, and whether the card can be extended automatically.

Often yes, because these are two independent grounds, and the second card is a safety net if the first one expires earlier.

A parole-based permit (C11) ends together with your parole, and re-parole processing can take more than a year. A TPS EAD (A12/C19) relies on TPS. But remember: as of 10/15/2026, TPS for Ukraine ends on 10/19/2026, and there is no official decision on an extension (more on the TPS page). Each application is a separate fee. So figure out which card expires first and decide whether it is worth paying for a second one.

No, an EAD is not required for a child: without it, a child is in the US legally, goes to school, and receives medical care.

A permit is only needed when a teenager actually gets a job. Some parents get an EAD so that the child has an American photo ID, but it costs the full fee, the same as for an adult. A child who is a US citizen does not need a work permit at all: they can work like any citizen (subject to state age restrictions).

Yes. An EAD based on parole, TPS, or asylum is not tied to a specific employer.

You can have several jobs, work remotely for an American company or as self-employed (1099), or open your own LLC. There is one restriction: the card must be valid the whole time you work. When it expires, work stops at all jobs, not only at your main employer. Each employer checks your documents separately through Form I-9.

Online through a myUSCIS account: USCIS allows categories (c)(11), (a)(12), (c)(19), and (c)(8) to be filed online.

1. Create an account at my.uscis.gov and choose Form I-765.
2. As the category, enter (c)(11) for parole, (c)(19) or (a)(12) for TPS.
3. Upload scans of your I-94, passport, and previous EAD card, if you have one. For TPS: proof of a filed or approved I-821.
4. Pay the fee by card or from a bank account and save the receipt notice.

For re-parole, you can request an EAD directly in the I-131 application. Details on the re-parole page. If you are asking for a fee waiver with I-912, you will have to file on paper.

Only to the address on the USCIS page uscis.gov/i-765 (Where to File section), and only using the current edition of the form.

The address depends on the category. USCIS changed filing addresses on 10/07/2026; packages sent to the old address and postmarked on or before 11/09/2026 will still be accepted. The edition is shown at the bottom of every page of the form. Before mailing, download a fresh PDF from uscis.gov, not from a Telegram group: an old edition or the wrong fee amount means rejection, and the package will be returned.

For a paper application: two identical color passport-style photos, 2×2 inches.

• White or off-white background, face looking straight ahead, head from 1 to 1 3/8 inches.
• The photo cannot be retouched, edited in an app, or mounted on cardboard.
• Printed on thin glossy paper, head uncovered (except for religious head coverings).
• Lightly write your name and A-number, if you have one, on the back in pencil or felt-tip pen.

2×2-inch photos are taken at pharmacies and photo studios (ask for a "passport photo"). If USCIS needs a new photo of you, you will be invited to a biometrics appointment.

The case number (receipt number) is 13 characters like IOE…, EAC…, or LIN… on the I-797C receipt that USCIS sends after accepting your application.

If you filed online, the number is visible in your myUSCIS account right away. Check the status at egov.uscis.gov (Case Status Online) or in your account. Do not confuse the case number with the A-number (A + 8–9 digits) or with the online account number (OAN): these are three different numbers.

It depends on the category and on whether this is your first EAD or a renewal. From 10/16/2026 the new H.R.1 fees apply (91 FR 62540):

• First EAD based on parole (c)(11), TPS, or asylum (c)(8): $570 (was $560).
• Renewal based on parole or TPS, and an EAD with re-parole: $280.
• Renewal based on asylum (c)(8): $275.

On top of this there is the base I-765 fee: $470 online or $520 by mail. There are exceptions: for the first EAD of Ukrainians paroled between 02/24/2022 and 09/30/2024, and for the first asylum-based EAD, the base fee is $0. Check the exact amount for your case in the G-1055 fee schedule.

Only partly: you can ask to waive the base I-765 fee with I-912, but not the H.R.1 fee ($570 or $280).

The H.R.1 law directly prohibits waiving the new fees, so you must pay them as a separate payment even after a fee waiver is approved. For I-912 you need evidence of low income or of receiving a means-tested benefit. I-912 is filed only on paper, together with a paper I-765. If USCIS denies the waiver, the whole package will be returned and you will lose time, so include evidence from the start.

The application will be rejected and returned without review.

USCIS has warned directly: applications postmarked on or after 10/16/2026 without the correct fee will not be accepted. What matters is the postmark date (or the online filing date), not the date you signed. If your package is already put together with an old $560 check, rewrite the payment for $570 or mail it with tracking so that the postmark is before 10/16/2026. Before paying, check the amount against the G-1055 fee schedule on uscis.gov.

There is no official "standard" timeframe: it depends on the category and the service center and changes every month.

• Check current processing times for your form and center at egov.uscis.gov/processing-times.
• For re-parole with an EAD, according to the Ukraine Immigration Task Force, people wait a year or more, even when they filed six months before their parole ended.
• For asylum (C08), you can file the I-765 no earlier than 150 days after filing the I-589, and the EAD can be issued no earlier than 180 days.

If your wait is already much longer than the published time, you can request an expedite.

Separately: approval of parole does not mean the EAD card has already been made. It comes later by mail.

First, the I-131 approval and a new I-94 appear in your account. If you requested the EAD in the same application, the I-765 will have a separate status: "Card Was Produced", then "Card Was Mailed". Until you have the card, your employer can accept the new I-94 with class UHP as a List A receipt for 90 days (see below). If the card has not arrived within a few weeks after "Card Was Mailed", check the address in your account and contact USCIS.

You can submit an expedite request, but USCIS approves it only for a strong reason and with evidence.

The most common reasons: severe financial loss, for example an employer letter about being let go without an EAD, a risk of losing housing or medical treatment; humanitarian circumstances. The request is made through the USCIS Contact Center; after that you can contact the Ombudsman or your congressperson's office. Americanization helps put together an expedite request with evidence ($100 service). More on the expedite page.

For C11, no. For A12/C19, only if USCIS has announced one for TPS, and right now it is valid only through 10/19/2026.

The automatic 540-day extension does not apply to EAD renewal applications filed on or after 10/30/2025. On 10/14/2026 this was made permanent by final rule 91 FR 65306. The rule does not affect TPS extensions granted by law or by a Federal Register notice. For TPS Ukraine, USCIS sends letters (Notice) that, together with the A12/C19 card, extend it through 10/19/2026. If you filed for renewal before 10/30/2025, the old rules apply, and your card may have been extended.

No, in general you cannot: without valid authorization, your employer must take you off work.

Until the new card arrives, the I-797C receipt for filing the I-765 does not give you the right to work. The exceptions are narrow:

• a new I-94 with class UHP after re-parole is approved: up to 90 days (see the next question);
• an A12/C19 card together with the USCIS extension notice: through 10/19/2026;
• a renewal filed on time before 10/30/2025: under the old rules.

Working without authorization hurts future applications, including for a green card. Unpaid leave is better than working "for cash".

If your re-parole has already been approved: the new I-94 with class UHP. According to the Ukraine Immigration Task Force, it is accepted as a List A receipt for 90 days.

• Condition: the new I-94 shows class of admission UHP, and the date of last entry is no later than 09/30/2024.
• The employer writes "Receipt" and the date on the I-9; by day 90 you must show a new EAD card or an unrestricted SSN card together with a List B document.
• There is no retroactive right to work for the gap between the end of your old parole and the approval of the new one.

If your parole is still pending, your employer does not have to fire you: you can ask for unpaid leave until the document arrives.

According to the USCIS notice of 10/19/2026, yes: until a further announcement, Ukrainians with TPS "retain protection including work authorization". But there is no new EAD date and no new I-9 instructions.

• The USCIS page still says "TPS Designated Through: Oct. 19, 2026", and the latest I-9 and E-Verify instructions (09/03/2026) use the date "Oct. 19, 2026".
• Lawyers (Ukraine Immigration Task Force) believe that, because DHS made no decision, the status has been extended by law through 04/19/2027. DHS has not confirmed this.
• Employer-side lawyers advise not to treat the 10/19/2026 date alone as proof that authorization is invalid.

Print the USCIS notice for your employer, watch the USCIS page and the Federal Register, and if you have C11 or another basis, check whether it is still valid. More on the TPS page.

Ask for unpaid leave instead of being fired: your employer does not have to fire you; they just cannot let you work without a document.

1. Show the I-797C receipt and the filing date, so it is clear you are waiting for a decision.
2. Offer to come back as soon as the card arrives, and ask for this in writing.
3. An employer letter about possible termination is strong evidence for an expedite request.

Unemployment benefits are decided by the state. Non-citizens are usually paid only if they had work authorization and can legally work while receiving benefits. So while you have no EAD, you will most likely be denied. Check with your state's workforce agency.

A work permit rests on a basis: when the basis disappears, so does the EAD.

Most often this happens when parole has expired or been terminated (for C11), when TPS has been withdrawn or denied (for A12/C19), or when asylum has been denied (for C08). If you receive a Notice of Intent to Revoke, it states the deadline to send objections and evidence. Do not ignore it, and contact a licensed immigration attorney or an accredited representative (DOJ-accredited). Some separate good news: according to lawyers, in July 2026 a court in Boston prohibited USCIS from revoking EADs of TPS holders from Ukraine, El Salvador, and Sudan whose renewal applications are still pending. This order does not extend the card's validity.

It can hurt. Unauthorized work is one of the reasons USCIS denies adjustment of status in many categories.

For some categories (for example, immediate relatives of US citizens) the rules are softer, but this is decided case by case, and nobody can give guarantees. Also, unofficial pay does not build a tax history, and you need one for future applications. If your EAD has expired, unpaid leave and an expedite request are better than working "for cash". If you have already worked without authorization, discuss it with an immigration attorney before any new application.