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This is a thread about one big logistical issue faced by all international students in the US. Terminology first: EAD = employment authorization document i.e., a $410 piece of plastic issued by USCIS that must be shown by int'l students to gain lawful employment after graduation
According to the rules, int'l students planning to work in the US after their graduation must apply for the EAD card NO SOONER than 3 months before their graduation date. If the application reaches USCIS even a day earlier than the 3 month mark, application denied.
You're probably thinking, thanks to this 3-month window, at least the students can get their EAD card well in time for them to start their job after they graduate! NO. The typical processing time for the EAD application is 3-5 months, with the median hovering around 3 1/2 months.
This means, that despite submitting all paperwork to USCIS on time, students have to forcibly remain unemployed after their graduation (possibly push back their start date at new job), while they wait for their EAD application to be approved and the card to be mailed to them.
And boy if the paperwork isn't exhaustive: photocopies of basically EVERY imaginable document you can think of, including documents that were issued to you by USCIS in the past (you'd think USCIS would be able to look you up in their system, but nope).
Oh and the mailing address: at the time of submitting the EAD application, students have to specify the address where they will receive their EAD card. So, 3 months before graduating and (probably) moving, student is expected to know where they will be 3-5 months in the future.
Most students end up requesting their close friends or relatives to receive the card on their behalf. If this doesn't sound scary, believe me, it is just as scary as entrusting someone to receive your passport in their mail and then mail it to you.
This EAD card is not just what gets you gainful employment, it is also required for re-entering the US. If it is lost, there is no quick "replacement card" issued by the USCIS. You have to go through the entire 3-5 month application process again. And pay $410 again, of course.
Some students are lucky enough to be in a school that provides the courtesy of receiving the EAD card on the student's behalf and then securely mailing it to the student. @PittTweet, being one of these such schools, happily provides this courtesy to their int'l students for free.
But of course, many universities flat out refuse to provide this simple courtesy to their students (e.g., @CarnegieMellon does not provide this courtesy to their international students). Their int'l students are on their own when it comes to this very worrisome hurdle.
Lastly, this EAD card is only valid for 1 year. Let that sink in. All this stress, paperwork, money, only for one year of lawful employment, after which you have apply for an extension. And is the extension application any shorter/cheaper/easier than the original one? No.
