What Is an EAD? The Form I-766 Employment Authorization Card Explained for Visa Holders

The EAD is the USCIS photo card that lets you work on OPT, STEM OPT or an H-4 EAD, and a 2026-10-14 final rule confirmed that renewals no longer auto-extend.

What is an EAD? An EAD, or Employment Authorization Document, is a wallet-sized photo card that proves you are allowed to work in the United States for a specific period. It is printed on Form I-766 and issued only by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). You apply for it on Form I-765. If you are on F-1 OPT, STEM OPT, H-4 with work authorization, or waiting on a green card, the EAD is your work permit in the USA. If an offer letter says "start date subject to work authorization," this is usually the card it means.

Below: what each field on the card means, who needs one, and what the 2026-10-14 final rule on renewals means.

Status as of 2026-10-14. End of automatic EAD extensions: in effect. It started with an interim final rule effective 2025-10-30, and DHS finalized it without change in a final rule published and effective 2026-10-14. H-4 EAD program: not rescinded. OPT fee of $70,000 initial / $30,000 subsequent: proposed (NPRM published 2026-10-08, comments close 2026-11-09). The current I-765 fee is unchanged.

What is an EAD? Define EAD in plain terms

To define EAD precisely: it is the document DHS issues to people whose permission to work is not automatic with their status and has to be granted separately.

• Status-based work authorization. H-1B, L-1, O-1 and TN workers are authorized to work for a specific employer as part of their status. They do not get an EAD. Their proof is the I-797 approval notice plus the I-94.
• EAD-based work authorization. F-1 students on OPT, H-4 spouses with an approved H-4 EAD, adjustment-of-status applicants and others have to apply for permission. The EAD is that permission in physical form.

So "EAD" and "work permit" mean the same thing in everyday US usage. Form I-765 is the application, and Form I-766 is the card you get if USCIS approves it.

Who issues the employment authorization card?

USCIS issues every EAD. Your school, your employer and the consulate abroad do not. The usual path:

1. Eligibility is established. For OPT, your DSO recommends you in SEVIS and issues an updated I-20. For an H-4 EAD, the basis is usually the H-1B spouse's approved I-140, or H-1B time extended beyond six years on the strength of a pending green card process.
2. You file Form I-765 with USCIS, online or on paper, under the right eligibility category.
3. USCIS sends a receipt notice (Form I-797C) with a 13-character receipt number.
4. Biometrics may be scheduled at an Application Support Center, or USCIS may reuse prior biometrics.
5. USCIS approves and produces the card, then mails it. Your online account often shows "card was produced" or "card was mailed" first.
6. Work can begin on the "Valid From" date printed on the card, not before.

For the OPT version of this process step by step, see our Form I-765 OPT EAD application walkthrough. The live form, current edition and filing addresses are on the official USCIS I-765 page, and our I-765 fee breakdown by category covers what each category pays.

The EAD at a glance (as of October 2026)

Reading your Form I-766, field by field

The front of the card shows:

• Surname and Given Name. These should match your passport.
• USCIS#. This is your A-number (Alien Registration Number), usually shown as nine digits. If you did not already have one, USCIS assigns one, and your first EAD is often where you first see it.
• Category. A code such as C03B or C26. It tells employers and agencies why you are authorized (decoded below).
• Card#. A 13-character number starting with three letters. This identifies the physical card. It is not your A-number.
• Country of Birth, Date of Birth, Sex, Valid From and Card Expires. The last two dates bracket your work authorization on this card.
• Terms and Conditions. Usually "None." A combination card for adjustment applicants may say it also serves as an I-512 Advance Parole document.

Where is the A-number on an EAD card?

The "EAD card A-number" question comes up because the I-9, the I-765 renewal and the I-485 ask for it, and the card has two long numbers. Your A-number is the USCIS# field. The Card# with the letter prefix is a different identifier, and putting it in an A-number box is a common data-entry error. For more, read what the Alien Registration Number is and where to find it.

EAD category codes visa holders actually see

An H-4 EAD under C26 is unrestricted, so you can work anywhere, freelance, or start a company. Our guide on what changes when your H-4 visa comes with an EAD covers that in depth. An OPT EAD under C03B or C03C is conditional. The card alone does not keep you in status. Your SEVIS record, your reporting, your unemployment days (90 on post-completion OPT, 150 in total with the STEM extension) and, on STEM OPT, your employer's E-Verify enrollment and I-983 do. Our EAD category codes guide goes deeper on each code. For the SEVP rules, see Study in the States and ask your DSO.

How employers use your EAD (Form I-9)

On your first day, your employer completes Form I-9. An unexpired EAD (Form I-766) is a List A document, so it proves both identity and work authorization on its own. The employer records the card's expiration date and must reverify before that date passes. The full document combinations, including what happens at reverification, are in our guide to Form I-9 documents and reverification for OPT and EAD holders. The employer-side source is USCIS I-9 Central.

EAD renewals: no automatic extension (final rule 2026-10-14)

Many renewal EAD categories, including the H-4 EAD, used to get an automatic extension: a timely filed renewal plus the old card let you keep working past the printed expiration date while USCIS decided the case. An interim final rule removed that buffer for renewals filed on or after 2025-10-30. On 2026-10-14 DHS published a final rule adopting the interim rule without change, effective the same day, so the substance did not change in October 2026. Our explainer on the final rule ending automatic EAD extensions covers it in detail.

Two cautions. First, F-1 STEM OPT has its own provision in the F-1 regulations about working while an extension is pending, and whether it covers your case is a question for your DSO. Second, if a gap between cards looks likely, the consequences for your job, your spouse's status or a pending green card are fact-specific, which makes that a conversation for a licensed immigration attorney (or your DSO for anything F-1, OPT or SEVIS related). For the rumor itself, see what the H-4 EAD "removal" searches are really about.

The OPT fee proposal is not a change to the EAD fee

On 2026-10-08 DHS published a proposed rule that would charge $70,000 before an initial OPT recommendation and $30,000 for each subsequent one, with STEM OPT counting as subsequent (Federal Register notice). It is a proposal, not law. Comments close 2026-11-09. The school would be the legal payer and may pass the cost to students or employers. It would apply only to DSO recommendations dated 60 or more days after a final rule. The I-765 fee and the $1,780 OPT premium-processing fee are unchanged. More in our explainer on who would pay the proposed OPT fee.

Common mistakes

1. Starting work before the "Valid From" date. An approval notice or a "card was mailed" status is not permission to start. OPT work before that date is unauthorized employment.
2. Confusing the I-765 with the I-766. HR asks for "your EAD," you send the receipt notice, and onboarding stalls. The I-766 card is what HR needs.
3. Using the card number as the A-number. Use the USCIS# field.
4. Assuming a renewal receipt still extends your card. For renewals filed on or after 2025-10-30, it generally does not.
5. Believing the card is your status. On OPT, a valid EAD does not fix a SEVIS reporting lapse or exceeded unemployment days.
6. Traveling while an OPT or STEM OPT I-765 is pending. This carries real re-entry risk. Read our explainer on traveling while your OPT application is pending and talk to your DSO before booking anything.
7. Ignoring name or date errors on the card. A typo that does not match your passport causes I-9 and E-Verify problems later. USCIS has a correction process for card errors, and our guide to replacing a lost or wrong EAD covers the options.

Frequently asked questions

What is an EAD and who issues it?

An EAD is an Employment Authorization Document, the photo card that proves you are allowed to work in the United States for a set period. It is printed on Form I-766 and issued only by USCIS, part of the Department of Homeland Security. You request it by filing Form I-765, and the card is mailed to you once the application is approved.

Where is the A-number on an EAD card?

Your A-number appears on the front of the card in the field labelled USCIS#. It is usually shown as nine digits. The separate card number, which starts with three letters, is not your A-number and should not be entered where a form asks for your Alien Registration Number.

Do H-1B workers need an EAD to work?

No. H-1B workers are authorized to work for the sponsoring employer as part of their status, and they show that with the I-797 approval notice and I-94. An EAD is for categories where work permission is granted separately, such as F-1 OPT, STEM OPT, H-4 spouses with an approved EAD and people with a pending green card application.

Does a pending EAD renewal still give an automatic extension?

For renewals filed on or after 2025-10-30, generally no. The interim final rule effective that day ended automatic extensions for renewal EADs, including H-4 EADs, and DHS finalized it without change in a rule published and effective 2026-10-14. Work authorization from the card ends on the date printed on it unless the new card arrives first. How the rule applies to your category is a question for your DSO (F-1) or a licensed immigration attorney.

Is the H-4 EAD being cancelled in 2026?

No. The H-4 EAD program is not being rescinded. What changed is that timely filed H-4 EAD renewals submitted on or after 2025-10-30 no longer get an automatic extension while USCIS decides them. Rising searches about H-4 EAD removal reflect the extension change, not a rule ending the program.

This article explains how the EAD process works and is not legal advice. Your own notices, I-20 and I-94 govern.

If you want help running a visa-aware job search on OPT, STEM OPT or an H-4 EAD, talk to F1Jobs.