I-765 — Application for Employment Authorization
employmentFiling fee: $410 (waived when filed with I-485)
Median wait (p50)
4.3 months
Range: 0.6–4.5 months
Fastest subtype
18 days
Asylum
Slowest subtype
4.5 months
All Other
Year-over-year
2.8 mo+2.8 mo
vs. Mar 26 last year
What is I-765?
Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, is used to request an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). The EAD is a wallet-sized card that proves the holder is authorized to work in the United States. It is required by many categories of noncitizens who do not have employment authorization incident to their immigration status.
Who files this form?
- Applicants with a pending I-485 adjustment of status
- Asylum applicants (after 150 days from filing)
- DACA recipients renewing their employment authorization
- F-1 students applying for Optional Practical Training (OPT)
- Spouses of certain visa holders (H-4, L-2, E-1/E-2)
- Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designees
Typical processing time today
Processing times vary greatly by eligibility category. DACA renewals can be as fast as 2 weeks. Adjustment-based EADs average about 2–3 months. Asylum-based EADs average about 1–2 months. Processing has improved significantly in recent years.
I-765 Processing Times by Subtype
Current p50 and p93 wait times across all subtypes
Heatmap
p50 and p93 months by subtype
| p50 | p93 | |
|---|---|---|
| Adjustment Of Status | 4.3 | 6.0 |
| All Other | 4.5 | 6.3 |
| Asylum | 0.6 | 0.8 |
| DACA | 3.9 | 5.5 |
| Row | Column | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Adjustment Of Status | p50 | 4.3 |
| All Other | p50 | 4.5 |
| Asylum | p50 | 0.6 |
| DACA | p50 | 3.9 |
| Adjustment Of Status | p93 | 6.0 |
| All Other | p93 | 6.3 |
| Asylum | p93 | 0.8 |
| DACA | p93 | 5.5 |
Range Bars
p50 → p93 spread per subtype
| Series | Typical (p50) | Slow (p93) |
|---|---|---|
| All Other | 4.5 months | 6.3 months |
| Adjustment Of Status | 4.3 months | 6.0 months |
| DACA | 3.9 months | 5.5 months |
| Asylum | 18 days | 25 days |
| Subtype | p50 | p93 | Spread | Explore |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asylum | 18 days | 25 days | 0.2 mo | Calculate ETA → |
| DACA | 3.9 months | 5.5 months | 1.6 mo | Calculate ETA → |
| Adjustment Of Status | 4.3 months | 6.0 months | 1.7 mo | Calculate ETA → |
| All Other | 4.5 months | 6.3 months | 1.8 mo | Calculate ETA → |
I-765 Historical Processing Trend
Quarterly median processing time over the available data period
Median Processing Time Trend
8 quarterly data points
| Month | I-765 Median |
|---|---|
| December 2023 | 2.1 months |
| June 2024 | 1.6 months |
| September 2024 | 1.6 months |
| December 2024 | 29 days |
| March 2025 | 1.3 months |
| June 2025 | 2.3 months |
| September 2025 | 2.6 months |
| March 2026 | 4.2 months |
Year-over-Year Comparison
Overlay processing times by calendar year to reveal seasonal patterns
I-765 Processing Times by Year
Each line represents one calendar year
| Month | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | — | — | — | — |
| Feb | — | — | — | — |
| Mar | — | — | 1.3 months | 4.2 months |
| Apr | — | — | — | — |
| May | — | — | — | — |
| Jun | — | 1.6 months | 2.3 months | — |
| Jul | — | — | — | — |
| Aug | — | — | — | — |
| Sep | — | 1.6 months | 2.6 months | — |
| Oct | — | — | — | — |
| Nov | — | — | — | — |
| Dec | 2.1 months | 29 days | — | — |
I-765 Volume & Approval Rate
Quarterly case volumes and disposition breakdown
Quarterly Volume Trend
Receipts, approvals, denials, and pending cases
| Month | Receipts | Approvals | Denials | Pending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2023 | 1,121,135 | 1,045,251 | 103,048 | 1,550,572 |
| June 2024 | 1,180,443 | 1,110,391 | 145,958 | 1,414,230 |
| September 2024 | 1,190,343 | 1,208,130 | 106,247 | 1,180,517 |
| December 2024 | 1,255,471 | 1,193,100 | 83,974 | 1,174,540 |
| March 2025 | 1,535,331 | 999,831 | 83,102 | 2,097,885 |
| June 2025 | 1,177,109 | 944,677 | 128,138 | 1,810,651 |
| September 2025 | 750,762 | 837,576 | 82,743 | 1,696,897 |
| March 2026 | 588,642 | 344,830 | 40,392 | 1,917,467 |
Latest Quarter
FY2026 Q2
| Slice | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Approved | 344,830 | 15.0% |
| Denied | 40,392 | 1.8% |
| Pending | 1,917,467 | 83.3% |
Receipts (latest qtr)
588,642
Approval rate
89.5%
Currently pending
1,917,467
Quarter-over-Quarter Movement
How the median processing time has changed each quarter
Median Changes
Green = faster, Red = slower
| Series | Delta |
|---|---|
| Mar 26 | +1.6 mo |
| Jun 25 | +1.0 mo |
| Dec 24 | -0.6 mo |
| Jun 24 | -0.4 mo |
| Mar 25 | +0.4 mo |
| Sep 25 | +0.3 mo |
| Sep 24 | -0.1 mo |
Processing Time Distribution for I-765
How processing times for I-765 are distributed, based on national p50 and p93 data
| Metric | Months |
|---|---|
| Typical (p50) | 4.3 months |
| Slow (p93) | 6.0 months |
| Your case | — |
Estimate Your I-765 Timeline
Pre-filled with this form — just pick a subtype and enter your receipt date