Employment Authorization Document

International Services Office

Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) are issued by the U.S. Department of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to various types of people, including graduated students with F-1 OPT, J-2 dependents who have applied for work permission, L-2 dependents who have applied for work permission, DACA recipients and pending immigrants. A person may work only within the validity dates of the EAD card. The exception is that a pending immigrant, or a student who has graduated and who has applied for an extension of a work permit under the F-1 OPT STEM program, may work for 180 days after their work permit expires, as long as they have a receipt notice issued by USCIS which is dated prior to the expiration of their EAD.