H-4 EAD processing time

H-4 EAD numbers for April to June 2026

USCIS counts I-765s by the category code on the card. H-4 spouses of H-1B workers are category C26. The table covers April 1 to June 30, 2026 (USCIS fiscal year 2026, third quarter).

Three things stand out:

• Most requests are renewals. Renewals were 12,476 of the 19,303 received.
• Approvals far outnumber denials. Using approved ÷ (approved + denied), our own calculation from these counts, about 95.0% of C26 requests decided in the quarter were approved: 90.9% of initial and 96.8% of renewal.
• The queue is large. The pending count (48,036) is more than twice what arrived in the quarter (19,303).

These are counts, not waiting times. USCIS publishes medians only for four I-765 groups, and C26 has none of its own.

What the processing times say

You can still size up the wait with the medians USCIS reports for related forms.

The “all other” group is everything outside asylum, adjustment of status and DACA, so it includes H-4 EADs. The I-539 median covers every kind of I-539, not just H-4. The August average covers all I-765s, including the slower adjustment of status cases, so it runs higher. For the full picture, see the I-765 processing time page.

For the I-539, USCIS counted 70,011 received, 38,751 approved, 8,163 denied and 133,056 pending in April to June 2026.

Who can apply

USCIS says an H-4 spouse can file an I-765 if the H-1B spouse either has an approved I-140 as the principal beneficiary, or holds H-1B status under sections 106(a) and (b) of AC21. You cannot work until you have the EAD (Form I-766). Details and the evidence list are on the USCIS H-4 EAD page.

Filing together: I-539, I-129 and I-765

USCIS lets you bundle the I-765 with other forms. Where it goes depends on the bundle:

• Standalone, if you are already in H-4 status and do not need to extend it: the lockbox on the I-765 filing addresses page.
• With an I-539 that extends or changes your H-4 status: the same lockbox.
• With your spouse’s I-129 and your I-539: the service center that handles the I-129.
• With an I-485: use category (c)(9), not (c)(26). If you send the I-765 with an I-485 to the (c)(26) address, USCIS says it will reject the I-485 and its fees.

The key rule: USCIS says it will not decide your I-765 until it has decided the I-539. Bundling saves you a filing step, but it ties your EAD to the I-539 timeline.

Premium processing. USCIS’s chart lists only the F-1 OPT categories for the I-765, and only changes to F, M or J status for the I-539. H-4 EADs are not listed. If your packet includes a premium request for an eligible form, such as your spouse’s H-1B petition, USCIS says to include only one Form I-907 for each eligible form. It adds that including I-907s for applications filed separately delays the processing of all of them. Read the premium processing page before you pay.

Automatic extension for C26 today

The rules changed in 2025, and one USCIS page is out of date, so read this carefully.

• Filed before October 30, 2025: C26 was one of the categories that could get an automatic extension of up to 540 days. H-4 spouses had to show an unexpired I-94 with H-4 status along with the receipt notice.
• Filed on or after October 30, 2025: the majority of renewals do not get an automatic extension, unless a law or a Federal Register notice says otherwise. The employer handbook lists C26 only for applications filed before that date.
• The older page: the USCIS H-4 EAD page, last reviewed in August 2024, still says you may qualify for an automatic extension. The October 2025 rule and the employer handbook (reviewed July 2026) are newer, so we follow them.

Sources: the DHS announcement of October 29, 2025 and M-274, section 5.1.

In practice, a renewal filed late can leave a gap with no work authorization. USCIS says you cannot file for a renewal more than 180 days before your EAD expires, and it advises filing early. USCIS also says your EAD should end on the same date as your most recent I-94 showing H-4 status.

While you wait

1. Check your case status in Case Status Online. The YourCaseStatus app (coming soon) will alert you when your status changes.
2. Compare your filing date with the time USCIS reports for your form and office on the USCIS processing times tool.
3. Send a case inquiry with e-Request if you are outside normal processing time.
4. Do not count on an expedite. USCIS says the need for employment authorization, standing alone and without other compelling factors, does not warrant one. See the expedite requests page.
5. Keep your address current on the USCIS change of address page.

Related pages: I-765 processing time, I-485 processing time and case status messages.