Complete EAD Category Cheat Sheet
A-Categories (Incident to Status)
| Category | Who Qualifies | Forms / Evidence | Validity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a(1) | Lawful permanent residents | Green Card | Permanent | Work authorized by status |
| a(2) | Noncitizens admitted as refugees | I-94, optional I-765 | Incident to status | May request EAD |
| a(3) | Refugees | I-94, optional I-765 | Incident to status | Work authorization on arrival |
| a(4) | Paroled as refugees | I-94 | Incident to status | Authorization by parole |
| a(5) | Granted asylum | Asylum approval notice | Incident to status | EAD optional |
| a(6) | Fiancé(e) of U.S. citizen (K-1) | K visa + marriage evidence | Until 90-day period | Incident to status |
| a(7) | Spouse/child of K visa holder | K-2 visa evidence | Incident to status | |
| a(8) | Citizen of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau | I-94 | Incident to status | |
| a(9) | NATO nonimmigrants | NATO visa docs | Incident to status | |
| a(10) | Withholding of removal granted | IJ order | Incident to status | May get I-765 for I-9 |
| a(11) | Parolees | I-94 with parole notation | As authorized | |
| a(12) | Temporary Protected Status (TPS) | TPS approval | Incident to status | EAD optional |
| a(13) | Family Unity Program beneficiaries | Approval notice | Incident to status | |
| a(14) | Deferred enforced departure (DED) | DED approval | Incident to status | |
| a(15) | V nonimmigrants | V visa | Incident to status | |
| a(16) | T nonimmigrants (trafficking victims) | T visa | Incident to status | |
| a(17) | Spouses of E nonimmigrants | I-94 with “S” code | Incident to status | No EAD needed if annotated |
| a(18) | L-2 spouses | I-94 with “S” code | Incident to status | No EAD needed if annotated |
C-Categories (Apply for EAD)
| Category | Who Qualifies | Forms / Evidence | Validity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| c(3)(A) | F-1 pre-completion OPT | I-765 + I-20 | Duration of OPT | |
| c(3)(B) | F-1 post-completion OPT | I-765 + I-20 | 12 months | |
| c(3)(C) | F-1 STEM extension OPT | I-765 + I-20 + E-Verify employer | 24 months | Strict compliance required |
| c(5) | J-2 dependents | I-765 + J docs | 1–2 years | |
| c(6) | M-1 practical training | I-765 + school endorsement | Max 6 months | |
| c(7) | NATO dependent | NATO visa docs | As authorized | |
| c(8) | Asylum applicants (pending) | I-765 + receipt | 1–5 years | 150-day wait |
| c(9) | Pending adjustment (I-485) | I-765 + I-485 receipt | 1–5 years | Most common |
| c(10) | Suspension/cancellation applicants | IJ case docs | Varies | |
| c(11) | Deferred action recipients | I-765 + DA evidence | 2 years | |
| c(12) | Parolees | I-765 + parole evidence | 1 year | |
| c(14) | Deferred action (general) | I-765 | 2 years | |
| c(15) | VAWA suspension/cancellation | I-765 | 1–2 years | |
| c(16) | Creation of record 8 CFR 249 | I-765 | As authorized | |
| c(19) | TPS applicants | I-765 + TPS filing | 1–2 years | Auto-extension rules apply |
| c(20) | Section 210 legalization | I-765 | As authorized | |
| c(22) | Section 245A legalization | I-765 | As authorized | |
| c(24) | LIFE legalization | I-765 | As authorized | |
| c(25) | T derivatives | I-765 | As authorized | |
| c(26) | H-4 dependent spouses | I-765 + H docs | 1–3 years | Requires H-1B principal eligibility |
| c(31) | VAWA self-petitioners | I-765 + I-360 | 1–2 years | Also can use c(9) |
| c(33) | DACA recipients | I-821D + I-765 | 2 years | Litigation ongoing |