Form I-765 has to be filed to obtain authorization for employment.

This page contains step-by-step Form I-765 instructions for marriage based green card.

  • Who is filing Form I-765: Green Card applicant
  • Form I-765 filing fee: $0 (when filed with Form I-485)
USCIS Form i-765 instructions, Marriage based Green Card

Form I-765 Instructions

This is Green Card Applicant’s Information
  • 1. I am applying for
    • Select ‘1a. Initial permission to accept Employment’
    • Leave 1b. and 1c unchecked
This is Green Card Applicant’s Information
  • 1. Your Full Legal Name
    • Write down your name as it appears in your passport, or
    • If you’ve taken or are planning on taking your spouse’s last name, use that instead
  • 2 – 4. Other Names Used
    • Provide any previously used names on any legal documents
      • E.g. If you’ve taken your spouse’s last name, provide your maiden name
    • Other Names used such as nicknames i.e. what your family and friends call you, but don’t appear on any legal documents do not need to be mentioned
    • If you need more space, use ‘Part 6. Additional Information’
  • 5. Mailing Address
    • List the address you want to receive all mail from USCIS at
    • 5a. In Care of Name
      • If it’s your own address, leave this blank (common choice)
      • If it’s someone else’s address, write his/her name here if you prefer the mail to be delivered under his/her name
    • 5b. – 5f. Fill the rest of the address
  • 6. Self explanatory
  • 7. Physical Address
    • Leave blank, if you live at the same address as listed in item 5 above
    • If you do not live at the same address as listed in item 5, then provide the address you live at
  • 8. Alien Registration Number
    • Leave blank if you don’t have one
      • Quite common you won’t have one
      • If you’re a student, who’s been issued a EAD card for OPT before, write ‘none’
  • 9. USCIS Online Account Number
    • Leave blank if you don’t have one (common choice)
  • 10 – 13b. Self explanatory
  • 14. Select ‘Yes’, if you don’t have don’t a social security number i.e. if you selected ‘No’ for item 13a.
  • 15. Select ‘Yes’
  • 16a. Enter your father’s family name
  • 16b. Enter your father’s first name
  • 17a. Enter your mother’s last name at birth i.e. her maiden name
  • 17b. Enter your mother’s first name
  • 18. Your Country or Countries on Citizenship or Nationality
    • Leave any unused spaces blank
    • If you need more space, use ‘Part 6. Additional Information’
  • 19 – 20. Self explanatory
  • 21a. Form I-94 Arrival-Departure Record Number
  • 21b or 21c. Passport Number or Travel Document Number
    • Enter your passport number or your travel document number
    • You will either have a passport (more common) or a travel document, but not both
  • 21d – 21e. Refer to your Passport or Travel Document
  • 22.  Date of Last Arrival
  • 23. Place of Last Arrival into the United States
    • This is the city in which you underwent an inspection by an immigration officer
    • This may not be your final destination, but the first city in the United States that you arrived in
  • 24. Immigration Status at your Last Arrival
    • Write down your visa type e.g. B1/B2, H1B etc., you had when you last arrived in the U.S.
      • For some, this may have changed since your arrival
      • E.g. If a student visa (F–1) has changed to work visa (H–1B), write ‘F–1 student’
    • If you didn’t require a visa to visit, write down ‘Visitor’
  • 25. Current immigration status or Category
    • Write down your current visa type e.g. B1/B2, H1B etc.
      • For some, this may have changed since your arrival
      • E.g. If a student visa (F–1) has changed to work visa (H–1B), write ‘H–1B’
      • Refer to your latest/current I-94
  • 26. Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) Number (if any)
    • Leave blank if you don’t have one (common choice)
    • If you’re on F-1 or J-1 visa, refer to your I-20 or DS-2019
  • 27. Eligibility Category
    • Enter ‘C 9’ (nine) so it looks like ‘(c)(9)( )’
  • 28 – 31b. Leave blank
This is Green Card Applicant’s Information
  • 1a. Select this box, if the Green Card applicant or U.S. citizen has filled this application (common choice)
  • 1b. Select this box, if an interpreter has filled this application
    • Provide language the interpreter used to communicate with you
  • 2. Select this box, if an interpreter has filled this application
    • Provide the full name of the interpreter
  • 3 – 5. Provide the Green Card applicant’s information
  • 6. Self explanatory
  • 7. Sign and Date after printing the form
    • Sign in Black ink
    • If you forget to sign and date, your application may get rejected

This section should only be filled if you used an interpreter to fill your form. If not, leave this section blank.

This section should only be filled if anyone else besides the Green Card applicant or his/her (U.S. Citizen) spouse has filled this form. If not, leave this section blank.

This section should only be filled if the information provided in sections above needed additional space. If not, leave this section blank.

If you’re using this section, make sure you follow these steps:

  1. Fill out 1a, 1b, 1c
  2. Fill 2, if applicable
  3. Do no repeat the information provided in the sections above
  4. If you need additional space, make copies of this section, and repeat steps 1, 2, and 3 for every copy.

Tips and Checks:

  1. Fill using BLACK ink
  2. We recommend saving a local copy, so you don’t lose your entered data
  3. Make sure the form hasn’t expired. Expiration date is stated on the top right corner of the form
  4. For items that are Not-Applicable, write ‘N/A’
  5. For item that have the answer none, write ‘none’
  6. For those who have already taken or are planning on taking your spouse’s last name, use your new last name while filling the application
    • It does not matter if your SSN, Drivers License, Passport etc. have not been updated to reflect your new name. Your marriage certificate suffices the name change requirement
  7. We think our Form I-765 instructions are sufficient, but if you want more information here are USCIS’s Instructions

Form I-765 Instructions FAQs

Per USCIS, Certain foreign nationals, who are eligible to work in the United States, use Form I-765 to request an employment authorization document (EAD).

In this case, the Green Card applicant needs to file Form I-765 to obtain authorization for employment. Upon approval, the applicant is legally allowed work in the U.S. even if the Green Card application is in progress.

Yes, these Form I-765 instructions are limited to Green Card by Marriage when both spouses are physically present in the U.S.

If you’re looking for Form I-765 instructions for a different category, please navigate to the appropriate category using website navigation menu or by performing a search using the search bar.

In this case, filing Form I-765 is an optional step. Green Card applicant may file USCIS Form I-765.

Detailed field level instructions can be found in Form I-765 Instructions section above.

No. You have to wait for your application to be approved in order to start working.

No, unfortunately you have to wait to physically receive the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card, before you can begin working. You will need to provide this card to your potential employer to begin working. After you receive your Green Card, you will no longer need this EAD card.

That concludes the Form I-765 Instructions. If you have any thoughts, questions, or clarifications on Form I-765 Instructions , feel free to ask and/or discuss them in the Marriage based Green Card discussions.

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