Asylum Applicants Can Now File Form I-765 Online

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced that certain asylum applicants can now file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, online.

Effective immediately, applicants for employment authorization under category (c)(8), Pending Asylum and Withholding of Removal Applicants and Applicants for Pending Asylum under the ABC Settlement Agreement, may file Form I-765 online.

To apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) based on your pending asylum application under the (c)(8) eligibility category, you may file Form I-765 150 days after you file your asylum application. The filing date is the date USCIS receives a properly filed Form I-589, Application for Asylum and Withholding of Removal, and can be found on your receipt notice. Please see the Form I-765 instructions (PDF, 751.16 KB) for more information.

To file Form I-765 online, you must first visit my.uscis.gov to create a USCIS online account. There is no cost to create an account. A USCIS online account offers a variety of features, including the ability to communicate directly with USCIS about your application through a secure inbox. If you have previously filed a USCIS form online, you may use an existing USCIS online account.

Online filing for Form I-765 is only available to certain categories of Form I-765 applicants. If you submit Form I-765 online to apply for an EAD, and you are not filing under an eligible category, USCIS may deny your application without refunding the fee. To learn which employment authorization categories allow for online filing, visit the Forms Available to File Online page.

USCIS is committed to employing technological solutions and efficiencies to reduce processing times. Offering the option to file Form I-765 online makes the process of applying for immigration benefits efficient, secure, and convenient for more applicants and increases operational efficiencies for USCIS.