Asylum EAD clock: 150 and 180 days
Enter your I-589 filing date and, if the clock stopped because of you, the stop periods. We count day 150 and day 180.
The date on your USCIS receipt notice. Dates stay on your device: they are not saved and are not sent anywhere.
The rules
- 150 days after filing a complete I-589 you can file Form I-765 under category (c)(8). An I-765 filed earlier can be denied.
- USCIS cannot grant the work permit before day 180.
- Days of delays that you, or a family member on the same application, asked for or caused are not counted. Delays caused by USCIS or the court are counted.
What stops the clock
Check the exact count in your USCIS case status: it shows whether the clock is stopped and how many days it has.
- You ask USCIS to reschedule the interview. The clock restarts when you come to the new interview.
- You miss the interview. You have 10 calendar days to ask for a new one and show exceptional circumstances; the clock restarts when you come to it.
- You miss the biometrics appointment.
- In immigration court: if a hearing postponement is attributed to you, the clock stops until the next hearing.
What does not stop it
- USCIS reschedules the interview on its own. In that case, the USCIS status says it is not an applicant-caused delay.
365 days instead of 150?
Proposed, not in effect
On February 23, 2026, DHS proposed that asylum applicants could apply for a work permit only 365 days after the asylum application is received. This is a proposal and is not in effect: comments closed on April 24, 2026, and as of November 4, 2026 no final rule had been published. The calculator uses the current rules.
See also
This is general information, not legal advice. For decisions about your case, talk to an immigration lawyer or an accredited representative. Facts checked November 4, 2026
Updated November 4, 2026 · Sources: USCIS: The 180-Day Asylum EAD Clock Notice (revised 8/2026); Federal Register 2026-03595; USCIS: “Interview Is Scheduled”, “Request to Reschedule Was Received”; USCIS: Establishing Exceptional Circumstances for Rescheduling Affirmative Asylum Interviews