What is an EAD?

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EAD is an official document that grants permission for an immigrant to work in the United States. It’s necessary to be an EAD holder because the United States does not permit all immigrants to work there. Only Lawful permanent residents or Green card holders and US citizens are allowed to work in the US. Hence, the US provides EAD to the immigrants to show that they are eligible to work in the US lawfully.

A Green card holder and a US citizen can work in the US without restrictions and they are not required to apply for EAD. The Green card and the US citizenship itself serve as evidence to work in the US.

People who are in the US for a specific time and have the right to work depending on the conditions on their visa can file Form I-765 to work there. If a person possesses a L2 visa and has a valid EAD he can work in the United States. EAD is being issued for a specific period and it must be renewed before 120 days from the expiration of the current document. While applying for a renewal, a photocopy of the EAD must be submitted along with the application.

Related Article: How to Renew an Employment Authorization Document

To file Form I-765, certain eligibility norms must be satisfied. A person who is disqualified to work in the US must not file this form. Form I-765 must be filled out honestly and correctly. Incomplete and incorrect forms are rejected by the USCIS.

Related Article: Supporting Documents Needed While Filing Form I-765

Any faulty information provided in Form I-765 will lead to rejection and imprisonment. The necessary fee has to accompany the form. It’s also mandatory to fill in the latest version of the form, old forms are not considered by the USCIS. There is also an option to file this form online.

A replacement document is also provided to the EAD holders. That is issued when their EAD has been lost, destroyed, or stolen. It is also provided when there are mistakes such as spelling errors on the EAD. The form will be checked by the USCIS. If additional information is required, the applicant will be called for an interview where the original documents will be verified.

Once the form is processed by the USCIS and approved, the applicant will receive the Employment authorization document and he will be able to work in the US legally. He can also work for any employer in the US without any limitation.

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