U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that qualifying individuals can now file the Application for Employment Authorization online. This is one of the organization’s efforts to leverage the power of technology to streamline processes and increase efficiency.

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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced that certain asylum applicants can now file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, online. This is an important step in USCIS’ efforts to employ technical solutions to streamline and improve processing efficiency and reduce wait times.

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. Please see the Form I-765 instructions for more information.

USCIS is currently experiencing delays in issuing receipts for Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal. Due to these delays, you may not receive a receipt notice in a timely manner after you properly file your Form I-589. For purposes of EAD eligibility based on a pending asylum application, your filing date will be the date that we received your properly filed Form I-589.

To file Form I-765 online, you must first visit my.uscis.gov and create a USCIS online account. There is no cost to create an account. A USCIS account offers a variety of features, including the ability to communicate 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.

Only certain categories of applicants may file Form I-765 online. If you submit Form I-765 online, but you are not filing under an eligible employment authorization category, USCIS may deny your application without refunding the fee. To find more information about which employment authorization categories are eligible for online filing, visit our Forms Available to File Online page.

Online filing allows applicants to submit forms electronically, check the status of their case online, and receive online notices from USCIS. We will continue to expand online filing of Form I-765 to additional categories to make the process of applying for immigration benefits more efficient, secure, and convenient for more applicants and to increase our operational efficiencies.

USCIS is committed to using innovation, technological solutions, and efficiencies to reduce processing times and meet the needs of all applicants and petitioners. Applicants who file a paper Form I-765, or any other USCIS form, can still create an online account to track the status of their form throughout the adjudication process, even if they did not file the form online.

For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

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If you have questions about the asylum process or work authorization, contact us at ILBSG. We work with our clients in their particular situations to ensure they get the right advice.

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