Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently Approved Collection: Application for Employment Authorization

AGENCY:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION:

30-Day notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comments.

DATES:

Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until August 12, 2024.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and/or suggestions regarding the item(s) contained in this notice, especially regarding the estimated public burden and associated response time, must be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal website at http://www.regulations.gov under e-Docket ID number USCIS-2005-0035. All submissions received must include the OMB Control Number 1615-0040 in the body of the letter, the agency name and Docket ID USCIS-2005-0035.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

USCIS, Office of Policy and Strategy, Regulatory Coordination Division, Samantha Deshommes, Chief, telephone number (240) 721-3000 (This is not a toll-free number; comments are not accepted via telephone message.). Please note contact information provided here is solely for questions regarding this notice. It is not for individual case status inquiries. Applicants seeking information about the status of their individual cases can check Case Status Online, available at the USCIS website at http://www.uscis.gov, or call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments

DHS previously published an information collection notice within the Classification for Victims of Severe Forms of Trafficking in Persons; Eligibility for “T” Nonimmigrant Status (RIN 1615-AA59) final rule in the Federal Register on April 30, 2024, at 89 FR 34864, allowing for a 60-day public comment period. USCIS did receive 3 comments in connection with the 60-day notice.

You may access the information collection instrument with instructions, or additional information by visiting the Federal eRulemaking Portal site at: http://www.regulations.gov and enter USCIS-2005-0035 in the search box. Comments must be submitted in English, or an English translation must be provided. The comments submitted to USCIS via this method are visible to the Office of Management and Budget and comply with the requirements of 5 CFR 1320.12(c). All submissions will be posted, without change, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov, and will include any personal information you provide. Therefore, submitting this information makes it public. You may wish to consider limiting the amount of personal information that you provide in any voluntary submission you make to DHS. DHS may withhold information provided in comments from public viewing that it determines may impact the privacy of an individual or is offensive. For additional information, please read the Privacy Act notice that is available via the link in the footer of http://www.regulations.gov .

Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected agencies should address one or more of the following four points:

(1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;

(2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

Overview of This Information Collection

(1) Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of a Currently Approved Collection.

(2) Title of the Form/Collection: Application for Employment Authorization.

(3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the DHS sponsoring the collection: I-765; USCIS.

(4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as well as a brief abstract: Primary: Individuals or households. Form I-765 collects information needed to determine if a noncitizen is eligible for an initial EAD, a replacement EAD, or a subsequent EAD upon the expiration of a previous EAD under the same eligibility category. Noncitizens in many immigration statuses are required to possess an EAD as evidence of work authorization. To be authorized for employment, a noncitizen must be lawfully admitted for permanent residence or authorized to be so employed by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) or under regulations issued by DHS. Pursuant to statutory or regulatory authorization, certain classes of noncitizens are authorized to be employed in the United States without restrictions as to location or type of employment as a condition of their admission or subsequent change to one of the indicated classes. USCIS may determine the validity period assigned to any document issued evidencing a noncitizen's authorization to work in the United States. These classes of noncitizens authorized to accept employment are listed in 8 CFR 274a.12.

USCIS also collects biometric information from certain EAD applicants, from whom USCIS has not previously collected biometrics in connection with an underlying application or petition, to verify the applicant's identity, check or update their background information, and produce the EAD card.

Instead of going to a Social Security Office, an applicant for employment authorization can apply for a Social Security Number (SSN) and Social Security card using Form I-765. If the relevant data elements on Form I-765 are filled out, USCIS will send the applicant's information to the Social Security Administration (SSA) upon approval of the employment authorization request. If the applicant already has an SSN and requested a Social Security card on Form I-765, SSA will issue a replacement SSN card.

(5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: The estimated total number of respondents for the information collection I-765 (paper) is 1,830,347 and the estimated hour burden per response is 4.38 hours; the estimated total number of respondents for the information collection I-765 (online) is 455,653 and the estimated hour burden per response is 4.00 hours; the estimated total number of respondents for the information collection I-765 Worksheet is 302,000 and the estimated hour burden per response is 0.50 hours; the estimated total number of respondents for the information collection of biometric submission processing is 302,535 and the estimated hour burden per response is 1.17 hours; and the estimated total number of respondents for the information collection of passport-style photos is 2,286,000 and the estimated hour burden per response is 0.50 hours.

(6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated with the collection: The total estimated annual hour burden associated with this collection is 11,487,798 hours.

(7) An estimate of the total public burden (in cost) associated with the collection: The estimated total annual cost burden associated with this collection of information is $400,895,820.