Your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) is Form I-766. The Form I-765 instructions call it the card "issued as evidence that the holder is authorized to work in the United States" (I-765 instructions, page 1). When it arrives, the field names are short and the dates matter more than they look. This post goes through each field with a fictional example, explains what the unemployment clock and the 14-month rule count from, and covers what your employer does with the card on Form I-9.
If something on your card is wrong, or the card is lost or never arrived, see Lost, stolen, damaged or wrong EAD card on OPT.
Not legal advice. This article summarizes official U.S. government sources. It is not legal or immigration advice. EADly is not a law firm and is not affiliated with USCIS, DHS or ICE. Confirm your situation with your DSO or a qualified immigration attorney. Last checked October 22, 2026. Each source's own date is in the Sources list.
What's printed on the front of an EAD
USCIS began issuing the current EAD design on January 30, 2023. Its handbook for employers says it shows "the bearer's photo on the front and back, name, USCIS number, date of birth, and card expiration date." Older designs stay valid: "Both the current and previous EADs will remain valid until the expiration date shown on the card," unless an automatic extension applies (M-274, 13.1).
USCIS's specimen card in the same handbook labels these fields: Surname, Given Name, USCIS#, Category, Card#, Terms and Conditions, Date of Birth, Sex, Country of Birth, Valid From and Card Expires. Valid From and Card Expires are printed as month/day/year, such as 10/25/22, and the date of birth as day, month and year, such as 25 OCT 2002. A line at the bottom left is about re-entry (M-274, 5.1, Figure 8).
A fictional OPT EAD, field by field
Alex Sample is fictional. These aren't your dates. Alex's program end date was Friday, May 15, 2026. The card arrived on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.
| Field on the card | Alex's card (fictional) | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Surname, Given Name | SAMPLE, ALEX | Your name. Check the spelling against your passport. |
| USCIS# | 123-456-789 | Your USCIS number. "The USCIS Number is the same as the A-Number without the 'A' prefix" (M-274, 3.0). |
| Category | C03B | Your Form I-765 eligibility category: post-completion OPT, (c)(3)(B). See the table below. |
| Card# | ABC1234567 | The card's own number. Your employer enters it as the EAD's document number on Form I-9. It's a different number from your USCIS#. |
| Terms and Conditions | None | USCIS's specimen shows "None" here. For STEM OPT, the handbook says the card "states 'STU: STEM OPT ONLY.'" |
| Date of Birth, Sex, Country of Birth | 01 JAN 2000, M, India | Check these against your passport. |
| Valid From | 06/15/26 | The first day of your OPT employment authorization. Your unemployment count starts here. |
| Card Expires | 06/14/27 | The last date printed on the card. Form I-9 uses it. |
| Line at the bottom | One of three notations | "Not Valid for Reentry to U.S.," "Valid for Reentry to U.S." or "Serves as I-512 Parole" (M-274, 13.1). |
Category: C03A, C03B or C03C
The handbook says the eligibility category "appears on the EAD under 'Category'" and the expiration date "appears to the right of 'Card Expires.'" It writes these codes as a letter and two digits, such as A03, C08 and C09, and notes that some include a letter "P," such as "C09P" (M-274, 5.1). USCIS's Form I-765 data report writes the F-1 student codes the same way: "C03A STUDENT: PRE-COMPLETION OPT," "C03B STUDENT: POST-COMPLETION OPT" and "C03C STUDENT: 24 MONTH STEM OPT" (USCIS, I-765 data, FY2023).
| Code (as USCIS writes it) | Form I-765 category | Regulation | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| C03A | (c)(3)(A) | 8 CFR 274a.12(c)(3)(i)(A) | Pre-completion OPT |
| C03B | (c)(3)(B) | 8 CFR 274a.12(c)(3)(i)(B) | Post-completion OPT, "up to 12 months" |
| C03C | (c)(3)(C) | 8 CFR 274a.12(c)(3)(i)(C) | The 24-month STEM OPT extension |
Sources: I-765 instructions, pages 4 and 5 ("Post-Completion OPT--(c)(3)(B)"); 8 CFR 274a.12(c)(3).
Compare it with the category you entered in Part 2, Item Number 27 of your Form I-765. If they differ, ask your DSO, and see If something on your card is wrong.
Valid From: when OPT starts, and when the unemployment clock starts
- You can't work before it. "The student may not begin optional practical training until the date indicated on his or her employment authorization document, Form I-766" (8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(A)).
- How the date is set. "Employment authorization will begin on the date requested or the date the employment authorization is adjudicated, whichever is later" (8 CFR 214.2(f)(11)(i)(D)). So if USCIS approved your application after the start date you asked for, a later Valid From date is what the rule describes. It isn't a mistake on its own.
- The unemployment clock. SEVP's OPT guidance says each day, "including weekends," without qualifying employment counts as a day of unemployment, and "OPT authorization begins on the employment start date shown on the student's EAD" (§7.1.6, SEVP Policy Guidance 1004-03). ICE says this 2010 guidance "remains in effect," except where its 17-month STEM content contradicts the 2016 24-month STEM rule (ICE, Practical Training). Days between your program end date and Valid From aren't unemployment days. The count starts on Valid From, not on the day the card arrives. The same guidance has one exception, for an approved card that never arrived and was replaced. It's covered in the lost or damaged EAD post.
Alex's count (fictional). The card arrived June 2, before its Valid From date, so June 2 to 14 don't count. Alex's first job starts Monday, July 6, 2026. June 15 to July 5 are 21 days of unemployment, out of the 90 allowed on post-completion OPT (8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(E)). With no job at all, the 90th day would be September 12, 2026. Edge cases are in How OPT unemployment days are counted.
On a STEM OPT card
- Valid From is the day after your OPT card ends. "The STEM OPT extension begins the day after the initial post-completion OPT expires, not on the date of adjudication, and ends 24 months thereafter, regardless of the date the actual extension is approved" (USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 2, Pt. F, Ch. 5). If Alex later gets STEM OPT, that card would be valid from June 15, 2027.
- The unemployment count carries over. The 150-day STEM limit covers "a total OPT period," including the post-completion OPT period (8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(E)). The count doesn't restart on the new Valid From date.
- It also starts the I-983 evaluation clock. STEM OPT requires "an initial evaluation within 12 months of the approved starting date on the EAD" for the extension (USCIS Policy Manual, Ch. 5). More in the Form I-983 guide.
Card Expires: the end date, and the 14-month rule
Form I-9 uses it. For an OPT EAD, the student enters "the EAD Card Expires date in the Authorized to Work Until field in Section 1," and the employer enters "the EAD's card number and Card Expires date under List A." When the EAD expires, the employer must reverify using Supplement B (M-274, 7.4.2).
The 14-month rule counts from your program end date, not from Valid From. The regulation says: "A student must complete all practical training within a 14-month period following the completion of study," except that the 24-month STEM extension "does not need to be completed within such 14-month period" (8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(A)(3)). SEVP's guidance lists the post-completion OPT end date as the earliest of the requested end date, the end of your remaining OPT time and "14 months after the student's program end date" (§6.3, SEVP Policy Guidance 1004-03).
- Alex (fictional): the program ended May 15, 2026, so 14 months later is July 15, 2027. The card's June 14, 2027 end date is inside that.
- If approval had come late: with a Valid From date of August 3, 2026, 12 months would run past July 15, 2027. Under SEVP's list, the end date couldn't go past July 15, 2027, so Alex would get less than 12 months.
The card shows the date USCIS actually set. Use the printed date, and ask your DSO if it looks wrong.
After Card Expires. "An F-1 student who has completed an authorized period of post-completion OPT may remain in F-1 status for 60 days beyond the EAD expiration date." The Policy Manual describes this as time when the student "may prepare for departure" (USCIS Policy Manual, Ch. 5). For Alex, 60 days after June 14, 2027 is August 13, 2027. What the grace period allows is in The 60-day grace period after OPT and Travel on OPT.
When the printed dates aren't the whole story
- It can end early. "Authorization to engage in optional practical training employment is automatically terminated when the student transfers to another school or begins study at another educational level" (8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(B)). The card still shows its printed dates.
- A pending STEM OPT application. If you filed for STEM OPT on time, the regulation authorizes work from your OPT card's expiration date until USCIS decides, "but not to exceed 180 days" (8 CFR 274a.12(b)(6)(iv)). For Form I-9, the handbook uses the expired card's "Card Expires" date plus 180 days, with a Form I-20 your DSO endorsed for the STEM extension (M-274, 7.4.2). For Alex, that outer date would be December 11, 2027. Details: STEM OPT extension guide.
- Cap-gap. If an H-1B change-of-status petition is pending, different dates apply. See F-1 to H-1B: cap-gap and the grace period.
USCIS# and Card#: two different numbers
- USCIS#. "The USCIS Number is the same as the A-Number without the 'A' prefix." On Form I-9 Section 1, a noncitizen authorized to work enters one of: "Alien Registration Number (A-Number)/USCIS Number; Form I-94 Admission Number; or Foreign Passport Number and the Country of Issuance" (M-274, 3.0).
- Card#. The card's own number. In Section 2 the employer records "the EAD's card number" under List A (M-274, 7.4.2).
The re-entry line and travel
The line at the bottom of the card is one of the three notations listed above. For travel on post-completion OPT, the regulation says an F-1 student "who has an unexpired EAD issued for post-completion practical training and who is otherwise admissible may return to the United States to resume employment after a period of temporary absence." It adds: "The EAD must be used in combination with a Form I-20 or successor form endorsed for reentry by the DSO within the last six months" (8 CFR 214.2(f)(13)(ii)). The full list of documents is in Travel on OPT.
If something on your card is wrong
Check your name, date of birth, category and dates against your passport and your approval notice when the card arrives.
- USCIS's error. USCIS says "we will make the appropriate correction at no additional cost to you." When no evidence is needed, such as "a clear typographical error," you submit an online service request and choose "EAD Replacement due to USCIS Error." When evidence is needed, for example when "the error relates to the EAD's validity period," you send a letter with evidence. Either way, you mail the card back by USPS (USCIS, Employment Authorization Document).
- Not USCIS's error. For incorrect information "that is not due to a USCIS error," USCIS says to submit a new Form I-765, the filing fee if required, any documents the instructions require and the card (same page).
- Not every surprise is an error. A Valid From date later than you asked for can follow from the "whichever is later" rule above.
Fees, addresses and the full steps are in Lost, stolen, damaged or wrong EAD card on OPT.
What your employer does with it on Form I-9
- It's a List A document. The handbook's List A includes "Employment Authorization Document that contains a photograph (Form I-766)" (M-274, 13.1). For OPT, "The EAD establishes the student's identity and employment authorization for Form I-9 purposes" (M-274, 7.4.2).
- No work before the card's date. "F-1 students must obtain an EAD from USCIS before they are authorized to work pursuant to OPT. The student may not begin employment until the date indicated on the EAD" (same section).
- Section 1 and Section 2 use Card Expires and the card number, and the employer reverifies when the card expires (see Card Expires above).
- A lost card. What an employer can accept while a replacement is pending is in the lost or damaged EAD post.
Saving your card's dates in EADly
EADly is a private, local-first app for iPhone and Android. It's built around the dates on this card:
- EAD dates. Save the OPT EAD start and end dates, and the STEM OPT EAD dates once you have them. The step "Check the card and save it" reminds you to check "your name, category (C03B for post-completion OPT) and dates," and lets you record the day the card arrived.
- Unemployment counter (Free). It counts every calendar day, weekends included, that no qualifying job covers, starting from the OPT EAD start date you save. The limit is 90 days, then 150 in total once STEM OPT starts, including the days used on OPT. Every F-1 job (OPT, STEM OPT and CPT) is free to save, so the count can be complete.
- 14-month check. EADly works out 14 months from your saved program end date and checks a saved OPT EAD end date against it.
- Expiry alerts and the Document Vault. EAD expiry alerts are free. Keep a scan of both sides of the card in the encrypted Document Vault: EADly Free holds 1 file, and EADly Plus removes the file-count limit.
What it doesn't do: EADly doesn't read the card for you, decide whether you may work, or contact USCIS or your DSO. It doesn't apply SEVP's replacement-card exception to the unemployment count. Get EADly on the App Store or Google Play. The download is free; the store listings show current Plus prices.
Common questions
What does C03B mean on my EAD?
It's the Form I-765 eligibility category (c)(3)(B), post-completion OPT. USCIS's I-765 data report lists "C03B STUDENT: POST-COMPLETION OPT." The handbook for employers says the category appears under "Category" on the card.
What does C03C mean on my EAD?
It's category (c)(3)(C), the 24-month STEM OPT extension. The handbook says the EAD issued for STEM OPT states "STU: STEM OPT ONLY."
Do OPT unemployment days start from Valid From or from the day the card arrives?
From Valid From. SEVP's guidance says OPT authorization begins on the employment start date shown on the EAD. The one exception in the same guidance is for an approved card that never arrived and was replaced.
Why is my Valid From date later than the date I asked for?
The regulation says employment authorization begins on the date requested or the date USCIS decides the application, whichever is later. A late approval means a later start date.
What is the 14-month rule for OPT?
The regulation says all practical training must be completed within 14 months after the completion of study. It counts from your program end date, not from Valid From. It doesn't apply to the 24-month STEM extension.
Is the USCIS# on my EAD my A-Number?
The handbook for employers says the USCIS Number is the same as the A-Number without the "A" prefix. The Card# is a different number, the card's own.
What date does my employer use on Form I-9?
Card Expires. The student enters it in the Authorized to Work Until field in Section 1, the employer records the card number and Card Expires date under List A in Section 2, and the employer reverifies when the card expires.
Sources
All checked October 22, 2026. The date in brackets is the date each page showed.
- USCIS, Instructions for Form I-765: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-765instr.pdf [edition 08/21/25; checked October 22, 2026]
- USCIS, Employment Authorization Document: https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/employment-authorization-document [last reviewed 10/30/2025; checked October 22, 2026]
- USCIS, Form I-765 Application for Employment Authorization data, fiscal year 2023 (PDF): https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/data/i-765_application_for_employment_fy23.pdf [queried November 2023; checked October 22, 2026]
- USCIS, Handbook for Employers M-274, 3.0 Completing Section 1: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-resources/handbook-for-employers-m-274/30-completing-section-1-employee-information-and-attestation [last reviewed 04/02/2025; checked October 22, 2026]
- USCIS, Handbook for Employers M-274, 5.1 Automatic Extensions (Figure 8, category code and expiration date on an EAD): https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-resources/handbook-for-employers-m-274/50-automatic-extensions-of-employment-authorization-andor-employment-authorization-documents-eads-in/51-automatic-extensions-based-on-a-timely-filed-application-to-renew-employment-authorization [last reviewed 07/07/2026; checked October 22, 2026]
- USCIS, Handbook for Employers M-274, 7.4.2 F-1 and M-1 Nonimmigrant Students: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-resources/handbook-for-employers-m-274/70-evidence-of-employment-authorization-for-certain-categories/74-exchange-visitors-and-students/742-f-1-and-m-1-nonimmigrant-students [last reviewed 04/02/2025; checked October 22, 2026]
- USCIS, Handbook for Employers M-274, 13.1 List A Documents: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-resources/handbook-for-employers-m-274/130-acceptable-documents-for-verifying-employment-authorization-and-identity/131-list-a-documents-that-establish-identity-and-employment-authorization [last reviewed 03/27/2026; checked October 22, 2026]
- USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 2, Pt. F, Ch. 5: https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-2-part-f-chapter-5 [current as of 10/02/2026; checked October 22, 2026]
- 8 CFR 214.2(f)(10)(ii)(A), (B) and (E), (f)(11)(i)(D) and (f)(13)(ii), eCFR as of Sept 14, 2026: https://www.ecfr.gov/on/2026-09-14/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-214/subpart-A/section-214.2 [eCFR version of 09/14/2026; checked October 22, 2026. We cite this version because USCIS says it is following the previous provisions after a court postponed the July 17, 2026 rule: https://www.uscis.gov/i-765]
- 8 CFR 274a.12(b)(6)(iv) and (c)(3), eCFR as of Sept 14, 2026: https://www.ecfr.gov/on/2026-09-14/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-274a/subpart-B/section-274a.12 [eCFR version of 09/14/2026; the cited text is the same in the eCFR version of 10/20/2026; checked October 22, 2026]
- SEVP Policy Guidance 1004-03, Update to Optional Practical Training: https://www.ice.gov/doclib/sevis/pdf/opt_policy_guidance_042010.pdf [dated 04/23/2010; checked October 22, 2026]
- ICE, Practical Training: https://www.ice.gov/sevis/practical-training [updated 12/10/2024; checked October 22, 2026]
This article summarizes official U.S. government sources and is not legal or immigration advice. EADly is not a law firm and is not affiliated with USCIS, DHS or ICE.