Form I-765
C9 EAD Eligibility Check
Answer a few questions about your pending green card application. We will tell you whether a (c)(9) work permit fits and what USCIS charges for it.
- Free
- 2 minutes
- No signup to see your result
The short answer
Who can file a C9 EAD?
Category (c)(9) on Form I-765 is the work permit for an adjustment of status applicant whose Form I-485 is pending. You can file it with the I-485 or on its own later, for a first card, a renewal, or a replacement. Filed on its own, it needs a copy of the I-485 receipt notice. The USCIS fee is $260 if you filed the I-485 with its fee on or after April 1, 2024, and $0 if you filed it with its fee from July 30, 2007 through March 31, 2024. An asylee or refugee adjusting status files under (a)(5) or (a)(3) instead.
What USCIS asks for
What USCIS asks for
- A Form I-485 that is filed and still pending
- Category (c)(9) on Form I-765
- A copy of your Form I-485 receipt notice (Form I-797C)
- For a renewal or replacement, a copy of your current or last work permit
The check
What this eligibility check covers
- Whether your Form I-485 is still pending
- Whether your case is family-based or employment-based
- Which reason applies: a first card, a renewal, or a replacement
- Renewal timing against the 180-day window USCIS recommends
- The USCIS fee that applies, from your I-485 filing date
Questions
Frequently asked questions
It is the Form I-765 eligibility category (c)(9): employment authorization for someone with a pending Form I-485. The card shows it as C09.
USCIS recommends filing up to 180 days before your card expires. It does not backdate a renewal card to the end of the current one, so filing much earlier can shorten how long the new card lasts.
No. Renewals filed on or after October 30, 2025 get no automatic extension. If your card expires before the new one arrives, you have to stop working.
USCIS now issues (c)(9) cards for 18 months at most, so many filers renew while the I-485 is still pending.
An asylee or refugee with a pending Form I-485 files Form I-765 under (a)(5) or (a)(3), not (c)(9). Immiva does not prepare those categories yet.
No. The check uses the facts you give and cannot decide the application for USCIS. Immiva is software, not a law firm.
Next
Where to go from here
Related