DictionaryIdentity and taxes

Employment Authorization Document: what it means

The Employment Authorization Document (EAD, Form I-766) is a photo document issued by the federal government to show that a person is authorized to work in the United States. Federal regulations say some people may work because of their status and others must apply for permission; in those cases USCIS decides and, if approved, the document is valid for a specific period.

In Spanish it is

Permiso de trabajo (EAD)

Also written as: EAD · work permit · Form I-766

A pregnant woman takes a video appointment on a tablet at her kitchen table.

Verified on October 17, 2026

3 official sources

See the whole dictionary

The full explanation

The EAD is one of the documents an employer may accept on Form I-9. When it expires, the employer must reverify that you can work. It is not the same as a permanent resident card.

An example

Julio receives his work permit. He shows it at his new job when he fills out Form I-9 and writes down the expiration date so he is not left without a valid permit.

You will see it in…

The Form I-9 you fill out when you start a job
The work permit card and its expiration date
Document lists some lenders ask for

Words that go with it

You will rarely see this word alone. These are the ones that show up with it on the same papers.

More guides that use “Employment Authorization Document”

Your first apartment as a new arrival in the U.S.

Still confused by a paper?

A HUD-approved housing counselor can walk you through it. Agencies usually charge little or nothing, many work in Spanish, and they do not sell you anything.

What a housing counselor does See free help

Official sources

We sum up what these official sources say, in plain words. We add no rules they do not state; when a rule changes, the definition and its date change.

1. Legal Information Institute (Cornell Law School) · 8 CFR § 274a.12: classes of aliens authorized to accept employment (external site) · in English · Verified on October 17, 2026
2. Legal Information Institute (Cornell Law School) · 8 CFR § 274a.13: application for employment authorization (external site) · in English · Verified on October 17, 2026
3. Legal Information Institute (Cornell Law School) · 8 CFR § 274a.2: verification of identity and employment authorization (Form I-9) (external site) · in English · Verified on October 17, 2026