“A mi esposa y a mi nos llego el permiso de trabajo y SSN a los 2.5 meses de que migracion recibio la documentacion y a los 6 meses la residencia permanente”
Heriberto CantuGoogle review · ES
Work permits · McAllen, Texas
McAllen Work Permit Lawyer
paso a paso contigo
A work permit lets you work legally while your immigration case moves forward. We check which category fits you, file Form I-765 with the right evidence and fee, and track your renewal date so you do not lose your job while USCIS decides. Call or send the form, in English or Spanish.
- Attorney Alex Martinez handles your case
- Hablamos español, 24/7 hotline
- 4.8 stars from 610 Google reviews
In the media
en los medios
“Definitivamente lo recomiendo yo tenía una orden de deportación … logró cerrar la orden de deportación y hoy estoy muy contenta con los resultados”
Sofia ReyesGoogle review · ES
Employment authorization
When to call a work permit attorney
A work permit, called an Employment Authorization Document, is a USCIS card that shows you may work for any employer for a set time. It does not give you legal status or a green card, and it depends on the case or status that makes you eligible.
Most people qualify through a pending case, such as a green card or asylum application, or through TPS or DACA. Filing in the wrong category, or too late, can leave you without work.
Why Alex Martinez Law
Your permit and your case, together
con tus papeles en orden
An attorney who checks your category.
Alex Martinez, licensed in Texas, reviews which eligibility category fits you before anything goes to USCIS.
The permit and the case behind it.
We also handle green cards, asylum and deportation defense, so the case that makes you eligible stays with the same team.
English or Spanish, at every step.
Alex studied in Texas and in Spanish in Mexico, and our team explains every notice in the language you choose.
Reachable day or night.
Call the 24/7 line at (956) 540-2255 or message us on WhatsApp. Meet us in McAllen or at our Brownsville office, or by phone or video.
Who qualifies
Who can get a work permit
Each permit has a category code. These are the ones Valley families ask about most; others exist, such as a pending cancellation of removal case.
Pending green card
With Form I-485 pending, you file Form I-765 under category (c)(9). The fee is $260 if you filed the I-485 with its fee on or after April 1, 2024.
Green cards
Asylum applicants
You can file 150 days after a complete asylum application is received, category (c)(8). No permit is issued before day 180.
Asylum
TPS holders
People with TPS, or applying for it, file Form I-765 with or after Form I-821. The card lasts until TPS ends or one year, whichever is shorter.
Your country's TPS page
DACA renewals
USCIS still processes DACA renewals and the work permits that come with them. File 120 to 150 days before your DACA expires.
USCIS DACA page
Inside the U.S.Form I-765
Work permit (EAD)
Comes from a pending case or a status you already have. It lets you work for any employer, and it ends when that case or status ends.
Through an employerEmployer files
Work visas
The employer is the petitioner. TN status covers Mexican and Canadian professionals, who apply for a TN visa at a U.S. consulate in Mexico. H-2A and H-2B cover seasonal farm and non-farm jobs. Employment green cards in EB-2 and EB-3 usually need Labor Department certification first.
Which one fits depends on your status, your history and your job. We tell you before anything is filed.
Renewals
Renew early: the automatic extension is gone
Until October 2025, many people renewing a work permit could keep working on an automatic extension while USCIS decided. For renewals filed on or after October 30, 2025, that extension is gone, unless a law or a TPS notice in the Federal Register provides one.
USCIS accepts renewals up to 180 days before your card expires, and it generally does not backdate the new card. If your card runs out before the decision, you have to stop working until the new one arrives. File as early as the rules allow.
No automatic extension
Renewals filed on or after this date do not extend your current card. Extensions given before it still count.
Shorter cards
New cards for pending green card, asylum and cancellation cases, and for asylees and refugees, last up to 18 months. TPS and parole cards last up to 1 year.
Rules that shape a work permit
General information, not legal advice. Your own case depends on its facts.
150 days
after a complete asylum application before you can file for a work permit.
180 days
before your card expires is the earliest you can file a renewal.
18 months
longest card for pending green card, asylum and cancellation cases.
$470
USCIS fee for most I-765 filings online ($520 on paper).
First permits for asylum, TPS and parole add a $570 fee from Oct. 16, 2026. Fees: Form G-1055, edition 10/01/26; fees change, and we check them before filing.
Check your case
USCIS case status Processing times Fee scheduleHow we handle it
From the first call to your work permit
Alex Martinez starts with the case or status that makes you eligible, because the permit depends on it. Then we choose the category and the evidence.
- 01ConsultationWe review your papers and your history and confirm your category, in English or Spanish.
- 02The applicationForm I-765 with photos, ID and proof of your category, filed online or by mail with the right fee.
- 03BiometricsIf USCIS asks, fingerprints and a photo at its Application Support Center in McAllen.
- 04Decision and cardUSCIS says the card is usually produced within two weeks of approval. We answer any request for evidence.
- 05RenewalWe tell you the first day you can file the next renewal, up to 180 days before the card expires.
Documents we gather
- USCIS receipts for the case behind your permit
- Passport, national ID or birth certificate
- Your current and past work permits
- Two passport-style photos
- Proof of your category, such as a TPS or DACA approval
Fees and consultation
We go through our own fee and any payment plan in your first call, and you have it in writing before you sign.
USCIS filing fees are separate and go to the government. We confirm the exact amounts before you file.
What to bring
- Your current work permit, if you have one
- Every USCIS notice and receipt
- Passport or photo ID
- Any arrest or court records
Your attorney
Alex Martinez
J.D., Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Licensed in Texas, admitted to the Southern District of Texas.
Reviewed by Alex Martinez, State Bar of Texas
Questions
Work permit questions
General information, not legal advice. Ask us and we will tell you where your own case stands.
How long does a work permit take?
It depends on your category and on USCIS. For a first permit based on a pending asylum case, the rules give USCIS 30 days to decide once you are allowed to file. For other categories, USCIS posts current processing times by form, and we check them for your case.
Can I keep working while my renewal is pending?
Usually not past the date on your card. Renewals filed on or after October 30, 2025 get no automatic extension, unless a law or a TPS notice provides one. File as early as allowed, up to 180 days before your card expires.
Does a work permit give me legal status or a green card?
No. It only shows you may work for a set time, and it ends when the case or status behind it ends. A green card is a separate application. See green cards and adjustment of status.
Can I travel outside the U.S. with a work permit?
No. A work permit is not a travel document. If your green card case is pending, leaving without advance parole usually abandons it, and since August 13, 2026 a trip on advance parole also counts as a departure for the 3- and 10-year bars. Talk to us before you travel.
What if USCIS denies my work permit?
There is no appeal from a work permit denial. Depending on the reason, you may be able to file again with stronger evidence. We read the denial notice first, because it says why USCIS refused.
Start your permit.
tu familia primero