2.5 Million migrants are employed lawfully with work permits: Estimated stock of valid employment authorization documents, fiscal 2019
| EAD Eligibility Category | EAD Category Description | Approvals |
|---|---|---|
| A02 | Temporary resident 245A | 25 |
| A03 | Admitted as refugee SEC.207 | 28,564 |
| A04 | Paroled as a refugee | 4 |
| A05 | Granted asylum SEC.208 | 49,154 |
| A06 | Fiance K-1 or K-2 non-immigrant | 28 |
| A07 | N-8 or N-9 non-immigrant | 31 |
| A08 | Aliens from pacific islands (freely assoc states) | 1,520 |
| A09 | K3/K4 non-immigrant | 14 |
| A10 | Granted withholding/243(H) | 18,831 |
| A11 | Granted DED/EVD | 843 |
| A12 | Aliens granted TPS (2018) | 280,451 |
| A12 | Aliens granted TPS | 35,790 |
| A13 | Grant vol dept. under family unity benefit | 3 |
| A14 | Life act family unity grantee | 2 |
| A15 | V Non-immigrant-spouse or child of certain LPRs | 470 |
| A16 | Aliens granted T-1 non-immigrant status | 75 |
| A17 | Spouse of E-1/E-2 non-immigrant | 8,853 |
| A18 | Spouse of an Ll-1 non-immigrant | 25,673 |
| A19 | Granted U1 non-immigrant status | 944 |
| A20 | Dependent of U1 non-immigrant | 9,439 |
| C01 | Dependent of A-1 or A-2 govt official | 1,137 |
| C02 | E-1 dependent of TECRO | 43 |
| C032 | Student: international ORG. must sponsor | 18 |
| C033 | Student: off campus/sev economic hardship | 508 |
| C03A | Student: pre-completion opt | 1,905 |
| C03B | Student: post-completion opt | 153,241 |
| C03C | Student: 24 month stem opt | 70,067 |
| C04 | Dependent of G-1,G-3,or G-4 non immigrant | 2,247 |
| C05 | J-2 non-immigrant | 11,781 |
| C06 | M-1 vocational student/practical train | 106 |
| C07 | Dependent of NATO-1 thru NATO-6 | 229 |
| C08 | Applicant for asylum/pending asylum app | 436,399 |
| C09 | Filed I-485, application for adjustment/SEC 245 | 205,370 |
| C09P | Apple for adjustment/SEC 245/advance parole | 231,235 |
| C10 | App for suspense of DEPO/SEC 244/NACARA/cancel of removal | 99,875 |
| C11 | Parolee SEC. 212.5/public interest | 5,766 |
| C14 | Alien granted deferred action | 17,546 |
| C16 | Applicant for registry/SEC 249 | 21 |
| C16P | App for registry/SEC 249 & advance parole | – |
| C171 | Domestic servant non-immigrant employer SC 101(a) | 392 |
| C172 | Domestic servant of USC | 301 |
| C173 | EMPLOYEE of FOREIGN AIRLINE Sec 101(a) | 2 |
| C18 | Alien with final order of deportation under an OSUP | 25,529 |
| C19 | Prima facie eligibility for TPS | 292 |
| C20 | Legalization application Pursuant to SEC. 210 | 25 |
| C21 | Witness or informant in s classification | 60 |
| C22 | Legalization application Pursuant to SEC. 245a | 4 |
| C24 | Life legalization applicants | 3 |
| C25 | Dependent T-1 non-immigrant | 591 |
| C26 | H-4 spouse of an H-1B non-immigrant (1/2 of 2018) | 26,928 |
| C26 | H-4 spouse of an H-1B non-immigrant | 47,821 |
| C27 | Abused spouse of A non-immigrant | 2 |
| C28 | Abused spouse of E non-immigrant | 3 |
| C29 | Abused spouse of G non-immigrant | – |
| C30 | Abused spouse of H non-immigrant | 42 |
| C31 | Approved I-360 VAWA self-petitioners | 3,638 |
| C33 | Deferred action for childhood arrivals (2018) | 325,895 |
| C33 | Deferred action for childhood arrivals | 391,814 |
| C35 | 203(b)(1),(2),or(3) princ beneficiary | 36 |
| C36 | 203(b)(1),(2),or(3) dependent/spouse/child | 36 |
| MULT | More than one eligibility code indicated | – |
| UNKNOWN | Unknown eligibility code | 46 |
| Total | 2,521,668 |
Notes: Approvals include initial, renewal, and replacement Employment Authorization Document (EAD) approvals from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Form I-765. EAD elegibility category and category description are classifications used by USCIS. The estimate for the total stock of EAD holders includes total approvals for TPS-holders in 2018 because many are approved for 18 months at a time, and DACA approvals from 2018 because they are approved for two years at a time. They also include half of the H-4 spouse of an H-1B nonimmigrant EADs for 2018, because a significant (but unknown) share are likely approved for three years.
Sources: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Office of Performance and Quality, C3 Consolidated via SAS, queried November 2019.
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