Work permit approvals for asylum grantees have remained steady since 2008 while spiking in 2014 for asylum applicants: Employment authorization document approvals for asylum grantees and applicants, initial and renewal applications, 2003–2021
| Asylum applicant | Granted asylum | |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 245,366 | 109,727 |
| 2004 | 204,835 | 125,125 |
| 2005 | 156,963 | 107,138 |
| 2006 | 115,758 | 73,121 |
| 2007 | 82,340 | 71,549 |
| 2008 | 63,924 | 43,240 |
| 2009 | 54,796 | 52,365 |
| 2010 | 47,872 | 49,238 |
| 2011 | 47,244 | 39,021 |
| 2012 | 54,825 | 43,102 |
| 2013 | 59,644 | 40,380 |
| 2014 | 92,228 | 36,174 |
| 2015 | 150,279 | 41,097 |
| 2016 | 269,765 | 34,185 |
| 2017 | 403,270 | 35,305 |
| 2018 | 344,978 | 49,401 |
| 2019 | 436,399 | 49,154 |
| 2020 | 447,050 | 49,342 |
| 2021 | 329,995 | 31,678 |
Note: Totals represent USCIS approvals for employment authorization documents (EAD) for applicants who were granted asylum and applicants for asylum with pending applications. Totals also include approvals for replacements of EADs.
Source: United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, "Form I-765 Application for Employment Authorization, All Receipts, Approvals, Denials Grouped by Eligibility Category and Filing Type, fiscal years 2003-2021."
This chart appears in:
- Temporary work visa programs and the need for reform: A briefing on program frameworks, policy issues and fixes, and the impact of COVID-19
- Testimony prepared for the U.S. House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections for a hearing on “Second-class workers – Assessing H-2 visa programs’ impact on workers”