In an effort to make applying for immigration benefits easier and more secure, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that, effective immediately, some parolees will be allowed to file their Form I-765 Application for Employment Authorization online.
Currently, you are able to file your Form I-765 online under the following categories:
- (c)(3)(A) – Pre-completion OPT
- (c)(3)(B) – Post-completion OPT
- (c)(3)(C) – 24-month OPT extension for STEM students
- (a)(12) – Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
- (c)(19) – Pending TPS applicants determined by USCIS as prima facie eligible for TPS and may receive an EAD as a “temporary treatment benefit” under 8 C.F.R.244.10(a)
- (c)(11) – Paroled for urgent humanitarian or public benefit purposes
Please keep in mind that those who are seeking a filing fee waiver or are eligible for a fee exemption, including Afghan nationals paroled via Operation Allies Welcome filing their initial Form I-765, are required to continue filing by mail.
It should also be noted that those who attempt to submit a Form I-765 to request employment authorization under an ineligible category may have their application denied, and USCIS may not refund the fee.
If you are eligible to submit forms online, you can get started by visiting https://my.uscis.gov/ and creating a free account.
