How Do I Show My Employer That I Am Authorized to Work in the United States?

Information on this page is copied from the website of the Social Security Administration.

To legally hire any employee in the United States, an employer must be able to verify that the applicant is eligible to work in the United States. You must prove that you are eligible to work. Employers are required to complete a Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to record verification that you showed the employer documents that prove you are authorized to work in the United States. If you would like to see what an I-9 looks like, please visit our Web site at www.uscis.gov.

Refugee

If you entered the United States as a refugee, you are authorized employment as part of your refugee status. The inspector at the port of entry where you entered the country should have issued you a Form I-94, Arrival-Departure Record, stamped to indicate “Employment Authorized.” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will issue you an employment authorization document (EAD) either at the port of entry or as soon as possible after your entry into the United States.

A refugee can apply for a Social Security card with the Form I-94 and an official government-issued identification document containing a photo (such as an unexpired foreign passport or driver’s license). Once you have your Social Security card, you can use it to show your employer that you are eligible to be employed. You can also use an EAD issued to you by USCIS to prove your eligibility.

When you first apply for a job in the United States, your Form I-94 is proof of your work authorization for up to 90 days. If you use your I-94 to prove eligibility, you are required to present to your employer other evidence of eligibility within 90 days.

Asylee

If you are an asylee, you are authorized employment as part of your asylee status. An EAD will be issued to you after the Asylum Office, an immigration judge, or the Board of Immigration Appeals grants you asylum.

You may also apply for a Social Security card with the asylum approval notice or the Form I-94 that USCIS issued to you showing that you are an asylee, along with an official government-issued identification document containing a photo (such as an unexpired foreign passport or driver’s license). Once you have your Social Security card, you can also use it to show your employer that you are eligible to be employed.

I am an asylee. How do I get an EAD?

As an asylee, you do not necessarily need to have an EAD issued by USCIS to prove eligibility to work in the United States. If you have been granted asylum by USCIS, the Asylum Office will begin processing your EAD automatically, and you do not need to file an application for work authorization.

However, if you have been granted asylum by an immigration judge or the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), you will receive postorder instructions on how to obtain an EAD from USCIS, either as a separate handout or in your BIA decision. As indicated in those instructions, you may make an appointment through the InfoPass program on the USCIS Web site to visit your local USCIS office to be processed for your EAD, which will be mailed to you promptly. You may also submit an application for an EAD by mail if you do not wish to visit a USCIS office. You must take your Immigration Court order or the BIA decision to your appointment, or provide it with your EAD application, if you are filing an application by mail. If you already received an EAD after you were granted asylum by either USCIS or an immigration judge and you want to renew your EAD, you must apply on USCIS Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization.

Key Information