J-2 Employment

EAD Application

The following is required for the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) application and should be assembled in the order listed.  You will then mail this to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS):

Check (made payable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security) in the amount of $410 U.S. dollars.
A completed Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization). For question #16 use code (c)(5) for J-2 work authorization.
Two passport-style photographs with the J-2’s name and date of birth printed lightly in pencil on the back.
DS-2019 photocopies – both J-1’s and J-2’s.
Passport photocopies – J-2’s photo and biographical page.
I-94 photocopies, both J-1’s and J-2’s. Copy both sides if you have a hard copy (issued prior to May 2013).
Personal statement.  The statement must be signed and dated and must state:
The reason you wish to work;
That the J-1 has adequate funds to cover studies and living expenses; and
That any income that you earn will not be used to support the J-1.
Copy of any past EAD card(s).

Tips

Keep a photocopy of your application.
If you already have a job offer, you can include a job offer letter with your application. It may help expedite the processing of your application.

Submitting the EAD Application to USCIS

Mail the above documents to the USCIS Lockbox having jurisdiction over the address you have put on the I-765. The following addresses are from the I-765 instruction sheet (revised 9/21/2016).

USCIS Dallas Lockbox

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, or West Virginia

For U.S. Postal Service (USPS) deliveries

USCIS
PO Box 660867
Dallas, TX 75266

For Express mail through private courier services such as United Parcel Service (UPS) or Federal Express (FedEx)

USCIS
Attn: AOS
2501 S. State Hwy. 121 Business
Suite 400
Lewisville, TX 75067

USCIS Phoenix Lockbox

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, or Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

For U.S. Postal Service (USPS) deliveries

USCIS
PO Box 21281
Phoenix, AZ 85036

For Express mail through private courier services such as United Parcel Service (UPS) or Federal Express (FedEx)

USCIS
Attn: AOS
1820 E. Skyharbor Circle S
Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ 85034

Note:

USCIS will mail your EAD card to the address on the I-765. The address you use on the I-765 should be valid for at least 90 days (and sometimes more) because our experience is that government mail forwarded to another address is frequently lost. If you move, you should call the USCIS National Customer Service Center.

Within 2-3 weeks you should receive a notice confirming that your application has been received and informing you approximately how long the processing period is likely to be. You will receive a case number, which you may use to check updated information on the status of your application on the USCISweb site.

After your application has been processed, you will receive the EAD card, a plastic ID card with the J-2's photo on it. You can then take the card to a Social Security Administration office and apply for a Social Security Number and card which you can then use for employment purposes. See also Obtaining a Social Security Number.

Your EAD card will be valid up to the expiration date on the card. It can be extended further, provided the DS-2019 form for the J-1 and J-2 have not expired and the J-1 program is continuing. To extend your Employment Authorization Document, you will need to re-submit all of the above-mentioned documents to USCIS and enclose a copy of both sides of your EAD card.