Follow your work permit from receipt to card in the mail, and know the day your EAD ships.
Use the receipt number from the I-797C notice for your I-765. Free, no sign-up.
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USCIS updates cases at random hours and the letter takes a week to arrive. We check your case every few hours and message you the moment it moves.
USCIS accepted your filing and sent a receipt notice (Form I-797C).
Next: Keep the receipt number. Biometrics, if needed, usually come next within a few weeks.
USCIS needs your fingerprints and photo. An appointment notice is on its way or already arrived.
Next: Go to the Application Support Center on the date shown. Bring the notice and a photo ID.
An officer is working on your case. It's a normal step, not a sign of a problem.
Next: This status can last weeks or months. The next update is often an approval, an interview or a Request for Evidence.
USCIS needs more documents before it can decide. The letter lists exactly what is missing.
Next: Respond by the deadline on the notice, usually 87 days. Many people have an immigration attorney review the response.
USCIS approved your case. The approval notice is in the mail.
Next: If a card comes with this benefit, expect a 'Card Is Being Produced' and 'Card Was Mailed' update next.
Your case is approved and your card is being printed.
Next: The card usually ships within 1 to 2 weeks. You will see 'Card Was Mailed To Me' with a tracking number.
Your card is in the mail. USCIS often includes a USPS tracking number.
Next: Track it with USPS. If it doesn't arrive within 30 days, contact USCIS.
The Employment Authorization Document (EAD) is requested on Form I-765. People apply for very different reasons: a pending green card, asylum, OPT as a student, H-4 or L-2 spouses, TPS and more. Each reason is a category on the form, and processing can differ a lot between categories.
Receipt numbers for online filings start with IOE. Paper filings tied to a green card application often start with MSC, and others may start with service center codes like EAC, WAC, LIN or SRC.
For an EAD, approval is only part of the story, because you need the physical card to prove you can work. After 'Case Was Approved', watch for 'New Card Is Being Produced' and then 'Card Was Mailed To Me', which often includes a USPS tracking number.
If you filed the I-765 together with an advance parole application based on a pending I-485, you may receive a single combo card that works as both a work permit and a travel document.
If you're renewing, file as early as USCIS allows for your category. The rules on automatic extensions of an expiring EAD have changed several times and depend on your category and filing date, so check current USCIS guidance and confirm with your employer before your card expires.
If the card is mailed but doesn't arrive, or the status shows it was returned, update your address with USCIS right away and contact them. Returned cards can be destroyed if no one claims them.
Enter the receipt number from your I-765 receipt notice above. It usually starts with IOE, MSC or a service center code. You'll see the current status, what it means and the history, and you can turn on alerts.
It depends heavily on the category and the office. Instead of a national average, CaseTracker Personal estimates your decision date from real I-765 cases decided in the last year.
After approval, the status usually changes to 'New Card Is Being Produced' and then 'Card Was Mailed To Me'. Once it's mailed, USCIS often provides a USPS tracking number.
Generally you need the physical card, or another document that proves work authorization, to show your employer. Check with your employer or an attorney about your specific category.
Sometimes. Many I-765 applicants have biometrics reused from an earlier appointment, while others get a new appointment notice. Your status will show it if one is scheduled.