*President Donald Trump’s administration affirms that, in starting work in the United States, all foreigners need to have an Employment Authorisation Document, but foreign workers need not apply for an EAD, if they are lawful permanent residents or holding a Green Card, or holding H-1B visas

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

The United States (US) Government has imposed new fees for certain immigrants who were previously barred from paying to apply for permission to work in the country.

The US had said any form submitted without the required fees and postmarked on or after August 21, 2025, would be rejected without proper fees by USCIS, The New York Times report noted.

The directive affects the US work permit, US Visa fee, US EAD Fee, US Jobs, Green Card, H-1B visas applicants, according to report.

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President Donald Trump’s administration affirmed that, in starting work in the US, all foreigners need to have an Employment Authorisation Document (EAD).

It is also the responsibility of the US employers to ensure that all employees, regardless of their citizenship or national origin, are authorised to work in the country only if they hold an EAD, report stated.

The fee for filing Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, is $470 online and $520 in paper form.

However, foreigners under asylum, parolee, and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) categories were exempted under the rules. From now onwards, they will have to pay the fees.

New fee structure

Now, the new fees for foreigners who file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, for asylum, parolee, and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) categories (a)(4), (a)(12), (c)(8), (c)(11), (c)(19), and (c)(34) are:鈥疐or initial EAD applications, $550; and鈥痜or renewal or extension EAD applications, $275.

Also, a new fee of $100 for foreigners who file Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal and an Annual Asylum Fee (AAF) of $100 (which must be paid online) for all foreigners with a pending Form I-589 for each calendar year their application remains pending, has been introduced.

Further, all foreigners with a pending Form I-589 must pay an annual Asylum Fee (AAF) of $100 (payable online) for each calendar year that their application is pending.

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There is one exception to these fees. If a foreigner requests an EAD after USCIS approves a new period of parole (re-parole) by filing Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records, the fee will be the lower fee of $275.

The rule indicated that any foreigner who filed or files a Form I-589 after October 1, 2024, that remains pending with USCIS for 365 days must pay the AAF is of the first anniversary of his or her filing date and each year thereafter that the application remains pending on such day of the calendar year.

Some other Changes

H.R. 1 also changed validity periods for some EAD categories.

For foreign parolees, initial employment authorisation is valid for no more than one year or the duration of the foreigner鈥檚 parole, whichever is shorter.

For foreigners with TPS, initial and renewal employment authorisations are valid for no more than a year or for the duration of the foreigner鈥檚 TPS status, whichever is shorter.

Form Postmarked on or After August 21

Applicants must submit the new fees with benefit requests postmarked on or after July 22, 2025. USCIS will reject any form postmarked on or after August 21, 2025, without the proper fees.

The fees in H.R. 1 do not supersede or replace those promulgated by the USCIS Fee Rule; rather, they will be charged 鈥榠n addition鈥� to current fees.

What is Employment Authorisation Document?

Employment Authorisation Document (Form I-766/EAD) is one way to prove that a foreign worker is authorised to work in the United States for a specific time period.

To apply for EAD, a foreigner has to file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization.

However, not all are required to get an EAD before working in America.

You do not need to apply for an EAD, if you are a lawful permanent resident or holding a Green Card (Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card), which is evidence of your employment authorisation.

Likewise, you also do not need to apply for an EAD, if you have a non-immigrant status that authorises you to work for a specific employer incident to your status, for example, you are an H-1B, L-1B, O, or P non-immigrant.

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