You are eligible to apply for a work permit, if you entered the United States on a visa that allows you to work (e.g., K-1, V-1 Visas, beneficiaries derived from E, H, and L Visas, etc.), or if you have a pending residency application, you are eligible to adjust status and a visa is immediately available to you. The specific time at which you may be eligible for the work permit depends on the circumstances of your entry into the United States. Rafael Tirado & Associates can guide you to find if you are eligible. You are not eligible to get a work permit if you are on a BI/B2 tourist visa. To get the work permit, you must file an I-765 application with the immigration service at a local office or at one of the Service Centers. Once this application is approved, you will receive the employment authorization card in the mail. This process usually takes 3 to 4 months after the application has been.  

A ‘green card’, issued by citizenship and immigration services (USCIS), grants lawful permanent resident status with authorization to live and work through all the United States. Most green cards are renewed every ten years, but some (green) cards based on marriage or investment are renewed after two years.