I am a refugee

or asylee D2

How do I show my employer 

that I am authorized to work 

in the United States?

To legally hire any employee in the United States, an employer must 

be able to verify that the applicant is eligible to work in the United 

States. You must prove that you are eligible to work. Employers are 

required to complete a Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, 

to record verification that you showed the employer documents that 

prove you are authorized to work in the United States.

If you would like to see what an I-9 looks like, please visit our Web 

site at www.uscis.gov.

Refugee

If you entered the United States as a refugee, you are authorized 

employment as part of your refugee status. The inspector at the 

port of entry where you entered the country should have issued 

you a Form I-94, Arrival-Departure Record, stamped to indicate 

“Employment Authorized.” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 

(USCIS) will issue you an employment authorization document (EAD) 

either at the port of entry or as soon as possible after your entry 

into the United States. 

A refugee can apply for a Social Security card with the Form I-94 

and an official government-issued identification document containing 

a photo (such as an unexpired foreign passport or driver’s license). 

Once you have your Social Security card, you can use it to show 

your employer that you are eligible to be employed. You can also 

use an EAD issued to you by USCIS to prove your eligibility.

When you first apply for a job in the United States, your Form I-94 

is proof of your work authorization for up to 90 days. If you use your 

I-94 to prove eligibility, you are required to present to your employer 

other evidence of eligibility within 90 days.

Asylee

If you are an asylee, you are authorized employment as part of your 

asylee status. An EAD will be issued to you after the Asylum Office, 

an immigration judge, or the Board of Immigration Appeals grants 

you asylum. 

You may also apply for a Social Security card with the asylum 

approval notice or the Form I-94 that USCIS issued to you showing 

that you are an asylee, along with an official government-issued 

identification document containing a photo (such as an unexpired 

foreign passport or driver’s license). Once you have your Social 

Security card, you can also use it to show your employer that you 

are eligible to be employed.

I am a refugee. How do I get an employment authorization 

document (EAD)?

As a refugee, you are entitled to work upon admission to the United 

States. An application for an EAD is prepared as part of your refugee 

travel packet that you bring with you to the United States. This 

application is taken at the port of entry and routed for expeditious 

processing so that an EAD is issued. The card will be delivered 

to you through the voluntary agency that is responsible for your 

refugee resettlement in the United States. You do not need to apply 

for an EAD.

I am an asylee. How do I get an EAD?

As an asylee, you do not necessarily need to have an EAD issued 

by USCIS to prove eligibility to work in the United States. If you 

have been granted asylum by USCIS, the Asylum Office will begin 

processing your EAD automatically, and you do not need to file an 

application for work authorization.

However, if you have been granted asylum by an immigration judge 

or the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), you will receive postorder instructions on how to obtain an EAD from USCIS, either as 

a separate handout or in your BIA decision. As indicated in those 

instructions, you may make an appointment through the InfoPass 

program on the USCIS Web site to visit your local USCIS office to 

be processed for your EAD, which will be mailed to you promptly. 

You may also submit an application for an EAD by mail if you do not 

wish to visit a USCIS office. You must take your Immigration Court 

order or the BIA decision to your appointment, or provide it with 

your EAD application, if you are filing an application by mail. If you 

already received an EAD after you were granted asylum by either 

USCIS or an immigration judge and you want to renew your EAD, 

you must apply on USCIS Form I-765, Application for Employment 

Authorization.

D2—I am a refugee or asylee...How do I show my employer that I am authorized to work in the United States?

M-576B (October 2013) Y 1
2 D2—I am a refugee or asylee...How do I show my employer that I am authorized to work in the United States?

M-576B (October 2013) Y

Key Information

Key USCIS forms referenced 

in this guide 

Form #

Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 

Arrival-Departure Record I-94

Application for Employment Authorization I-765

Other U.S. Government Services–Click or Call

General 

Information

www.usa.gov 1-800-333-4636

New 

Immigrants

www.welcometoUSA.gov

U.S. Dept. 

of State

www.state.gov 1-202-647-6575

For more copies of this guide, or information 

about other customer guides, please visit 

www.uscis.gov/howdoi. 

You can also visit www.uscis.gov to 

download forms, e-file some applications, 

check the status of an application, and more. 

It’s a great place to start!

If you don’t have Internet access at home 

or work, try your local library. 

If you cannot find what you need, please call 

Customer Service at: 1-800-375-5283 

Hearing Impaired TDD Customer Service: 

1-800-767-1833

Disclaimer: This guide provides basic information 

to help you become generally familiar with our 

rules and procedures. For more information, or 

the law and regulations, please visit our Web 

site. Immigration law can be complex, and it is 

impossible to describe every aspect of every 

process. You may wish to be represented by 

a licensed attorney or by a nonprofit agency 

accredited by the Board of Immigration Appeals.