Employment Authorization for Certain H-4 Dependent Spouses
Certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants can file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, if the H-1B nonimmigrant:
- Is the principal beneficiary of an approved Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker; or
- Has been granted H-1B status under sections 106(a) and (b) of the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-first Century Act of 2000 as amended by the 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act (AC21).
U.S. businesses use the H-1B program to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require a bachelor’s or higher degree in a specific specialty that is directly related to the H-1B position. In addition to specialty occupation workers, the H-1B classification applies to individuals performing services related to a Department of Defense cooperative research and development project or coproduction project, and to individuals performing services of distinguished merit and ability in the field of fashion modeling.
Visit our H-1B Visa page for more information on eligibility for the H-1B program.
You are eligible if you are the H-4 dependent spouse of an H-1B nonimmigrant if your H-1B nonimmigrant spouse:
- Is the principal beneficiary of an approved Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers; or
- Has been granted H-1B status under sections 106(a) and (b) of AC21. Under AC21, H-1B nonimmigrants seeking employment-based lawful permanent residence may be eligible to work and remain in the United States beyond the six-year H-1B period of admission limitation.
You must file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, to request employment authorization as an H-4 dependent spouse. You must receive an Employment Authorization Document (EAD/Form I-766) from USCIS before you may begin working. Use the newest version of Form I-765 to prevent delays or the need for USCIS to issue you a request for evidence.
Carefully follow these steps to prevent your application from being rejected and returned to you:
- Complete Form I-765 using the Instructions for Form I-765 . USCIS will reject any application that is not accompanied by the proper filing fees or signature.
- If you are filing Form I-765 together with Form I-485, you must specify your eligibility category as (c)(9), not as (c)(26), and pay the Form I-485 filing fee. Follow the Form I-485 filing instructions to avoid processing delays.
- If you file a Form I-765 together with a Form I-485 at the filing address for Form I-765 category (c)(26), USCIS will reject your Form I-485 and any corresponding fees. Additionally, if you included the fees for both forms on the same check or money order, USCIS may also reject your Form I-765 for category (c)(26).
- Submit supporting evidence (see chart below). Submitting sufficient supporting evidence will minimize the likelihood that USCIS will need to send you a request for more evidence.
| Evidence of… | Can be shown by submitting… |
|---|---|
| Your H-4 status |
|
| A government-issued identification document with photo |
|
| Your relationship to the H-1B nonimmigrant |
|
| Your basis for eligibility |
OR
OR
Examples of Secondary Evidence. If you do not have any evidence relating to the H-1B nonimmigrant as described in “a” or “b” above, you may ask USCIS to consider secondary evidence in support of your application for employment authorization as an H-4 spouse. For example, such information may include the receipt number of the most current Form I-129 extension of stay request filed for the H-1B nonimmigrant or the receipt number of the approved Form I-140 petition filed for the H-1B nonimmigrant. Failure to provide necessary information about the H-1B nonimmigrant may result in a delay in the adjudication or denial of your application for employment authorization. |
| Photos for card production |
|
If you submit any documents containing a foreign language to USCIS, you must also submit a full English language translation that the translator has certified as complete and accurate. The translator must also certify that they are competent to translate from the foreign language into English.
When filing Form I-765, please mail it to the proper location based on the chart below.
| If you are submitting your Form I-765… | Then please file your application at… |
|---|---|
| As a standalone application because you are currently in H-4 status and do not need to extend your status | The Lockbox address found on our Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-765 web page. |
| Together with Form I-539 seeking a change to or extension of H-4 status | The Lockbox address found on our Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-765 web page. |
| Together with Form I-129 seeking H-1B status for your spouse and Form I-539, seeking a change to or extension of H-4 status for yourself | The service center with jurisdiction over Form I-129. Please see our Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-129 web page for more information. |
For your convenience, you may file Form I-765 with Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, or with both Form I-539 and the Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, filed for the H-1B principal nonimmigrant. However, we will not make a decision on your Form I-765 until after we have adjudicated your Form I-539 and determined whether you are eligible for the underlying H-4 nonimmigrant status, whether your spouse is eligible for the underlying H-1B nonimmigrant status, or both. Go to the Filing Form I-765 with Other Forms page for more information on filing these forms together
You will not be authorized to work until USCIS approves your Form I-765. Once your employment authorization is approved, the expiration date on your Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766 EAD) should be the same date as the expiration date on your most recent Form I-94 indicating your H-4 nonimmigrant status. Generally, you are only authorized to work through the expiration date on your EAD. If you are still eligible for employment authorization after that date, you should file for a renewal EAD by submitting another Form I-765. You cannot file for a renewal EAD more than 180 days before your original EAD expires
You may qualify for automatic extension of your existing employment authorization. See our Automatic Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Extension page for more information on this automatic extension.
Some unauthorized practitioners may try to take advantage of you by claiming they can file an EAD. These same individuals may ask that you pay them to file such forms. To learn the facts about how to protect yourself and your family from scams, please visit www.uscis.gov/avoidscams.