In my capacity as a Miami immigration lawyer, I have helped many of my clients apply for their work permit (i.e. their Employment Authorization Document, also loosely known as their “work authorization” or their “work permit”). In order to do so, I helped my clients prepare and submit Form I-765.
Depending on your immigration status, you may need to apply for a work permit before you are allowed to work legally within the U.S.
For example, if you recently applied for for adjustment of status, and are still waiting for your interview, received TPS (Temporary Protected Status), are seeking asylum and/or are an application awaiting action on your asylum application, or are on a student visa (F-1 visa) who has met with financial difficulties and needs to work. If you have any question as to whether you need a work permit, do not guess. It is best to consult with a Miami immigration attorney.
Unfortunately, because of a combination of budget cuts, coupled with a rise in immigration flow, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is overloaded with applications. Lately, many of my clients have encountered very slow wait times between submitting their work permit application and their receipt of an approval. To make matter worse, the USCIS seems to be no longer complying with its obligation to issue an interim (240-day) employment authorization to to those applicants whose I-765s have been pending beyond the 90-day (or other) required period and who visit USCIS to request this.
If you are in desperate need of a work permit, you should not delay in filing your application in light of the long wait times above. Talk to your Miami immigration lawyer about submitting your application soon as you can. Once your application has been filed, be sure to check in with your Miami immigration attorney as to USCIS’s progress on your case (the USCIS has a website dedicated to providing you with case statuses). Your Miami immigration attorney will likely be able to offer interim advice and/or point you in the right direction in the event of a lengthy wait time.
If you would like more information on obtaining your work permit or work authorization, please contact Miami immigration lawyer Michael G. Murray, Esq. at (305) 895-2500 or visit our website at www.mmurraylaw.com.