An Employment Authorization Document (EAD card) is also known as a work permit. The employment authorization document is issued by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and is issued to show your legal right to work in the United States. The application for employment authorization is also known as form I-765.

Foreign nationals who are temporarily in the U.S. may file and submit Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization to obtain an EAD. Each employment authorization document is issued for a specified period of time based on the foreign national's immigration situation. If a foreign national successfully completes the application for employment authorization he or she will be issued a valid EAD. He or she will then be authorized to work in the United States without their employer having to file and submit a non-immigrant petition.

Generally the EAD is issued in the form of a credit card sized plastic card. This employment authorization document card comes enhanced with multiple security coding which cannot be duplicated. The employment authorization document will provide information about your name, birth date, sex, immigrant category, country of birth, photo, alien registration number, card number, term and conditions of care restrictions and valid date.

When a foreign national successfully completes application for employment authorization with form I-765 an employment authorization document (EAD) will be issued and he or she will be able to lawfully work in the United States for any employer.

If you are not a US citizen or a lawful permanent resident, you may need to apply for an EAD to prove you may work in the United States. The specific categories that require an EAD include (but are not limited to) asylees and asylum seekers; refugees; students seeking particular types of employment; applicants to adjust to permanent residence status; people in or applying for temporary protected status; fiancés and spouses of American citizens; dependents of foreign government officials; J-2 spouse or minor child of an Exchange Visitor; spouse of an E-1/E-2 Treaty Trader or Investor and spouse of an L-1 Intra-company Transferee.

USCIS issues EADs in the following categories:

• EAD: This document proves you are allowed to work in the United States.
• Renewal EAD: You cannot file more than 120 days before your original employment authorization expires.
• Replacement EAD: This document replaces a lost, stolen, or mutilated EAD. A replacement EAD also replaces an EAD that was issued with incorrect information, such as a misspelled name.

Certain aliens who are temporarily in the United States may file a Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, to request an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Other aliens who are authorized to work in the United States without restrictions should also use this form to apply for a document evidencing such authorization.

When a foreign national successfully completes an application for employment authorization with form I-765, and obtains an employment authorization document (EAD), he or she will be able to lawfully work in the United States for any employer.

When applying for U.S. Citizenship through naturalization, United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) does require a Citizenship test to be taken by all applicants. The Citizenship test will be based on the ability of reading, writing and speaking English, knowledge of American history and the government of the United States.