U.S. employers must check to make sure all employees, regardless of citizenship or national origin, are allowed to work in the United States. If you are not a citizen or a lawful permanent resident, you may need to prove that you can work in the United States by presenting an Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766/EAD).

You do not need to be a permanent resident to get a work permit, but you need to have an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa that allows you to live and work in the United States. DACA recipients can also get work permits. It costs $410 –$495 to apply for a work permit and takes 2-7 months to get one.

Foreign nationals living in the United States cannot work here unless they have received explicit permission under the terms of their visa or other status, or have separately qualified, applied for, and received a work permit. A work permit is not the same thing as a green card.