Before you send a single application
• Check the expiration date on your work permit. Renewals filed since 30 October 2025 no longer extend it automatically.
• You choose which documents to show for the Form I-9. An employer cannot demand a specific one.
• A real employer never charges you to get a job.
For many people who have recently moved to the United States, the first job comes through a friend, a relative, or a recruiter who takes a cut of the wages. None of those routes is required. Most employers hire directly, and many entry-level jobs in warehousing, hospitality, construction, care work and retail are filled through the company’s own postings.
Finding work without a middleman can save money, but it also means you are the one checking that the job is real, the pay is legal, and your paperwork is in order. This guide covers all three, and our overview of the legal challenges immigrants face today puts the work permit changes in wider context.
Step One: Confirm You Can Work, and for How Long
Some people are authorized to work because of their immigration status, such as lawful permanent residents and certain visa holders. Others need an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), the card often called a work permit. Two recent changes affect EAD holders directly.
No more automatic extensions for most renewals. Until late 2025, many workers who filed a timely renewal could keep working for up to 540 days after the card expired while USCIS processed it. For renewals filed on or after 30 October 2025, that generally no longer applies. A final rule published on 14 October 2026 made the change permanent. Extensions provided by law or by Federal Register notice, such as those announced for some Temporary Protected Status (TPS) countries, are not affected.
Shorter validity periods. Since 5 December 2025, new EADs for refugees, asylees, asylum applicants and people with pending green card applications are generally valid for a maximum of 18 months, down from five years. Parolees and TPS holders face a one-year maximum under a 2025 federal law, as law firm Mintz summarises.
In practice, a card can now expire while your renewal is still pending, and your employer may have to take you off the schedule until the new card arrives. Immigration lawyers commonly recommend filing as early as the rules allow, up to 180 days before expiration, and keeping your receipt notice. If a new job means moving while the renewal is pending, update your address with USCIS promptly; our article on moving while an immigration case is pending explains why one change-of-address form is often not enough.
Where to Look for Jobs Directly
- Employer career pages. Large retailers, hospitals, logistics companies and hotel chains post most openings on their own websites and accept applications directly.
- American Job Centers. Every state runs free public job centers, listed on CareerOneStop, that offer job listings, resume help and training referrals at no charge.
- Community and faith organizations. Immigrant-serving nonprofits often keep lists of employers who have hired newcomers before, and some offer English classes tied to job placement.
- Classifieds aimed at immigrants. Sites such as https://tbilistings.com/ collect job ads, housing and services for newcomers in cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles in one place. Treat any listing, on any site, as a lead to check, not a guarantee.
- Credential recognition. If you were a nurse, engineer or teacher abroad, ask your state licensing board how to have your qualifications evaluated before settling for work below your training.
Your Rights When You Are Hired
The Form I-9 is your choice of documents. Every new hire completes Form I-9. You fill in Section 1 by your first day and must show acceptable documents within three business days of starting work. You decide which documents to present from the USCIS list of acceptable documents. An employer who insists on a green card, rejects a valid document, or asks for more documents than required because of your citizenship or national origin may be breaking federal law.
The Justice Department’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section handles those complaints and runs a worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688. It also covers discrimination in hiring and firing based on citizenship status or national origin, and retaliation for complaining.
You are owed minimum wage and overtime. The U.S. Department of Labor states that it enforces the federal minimum wage and overtime law “without regard to whether an employee is documented or undocumented,” and that back pay is owed for hours actually worked (DOL Fact Sheet #48). Many states and cities set higher minimum wages than the federal $7.25.
Get the terms in writing. Ask for the hourly rate, schedule, overtime policy and pay dates before you start, and keep your pay stubs.
Recruiters and Agencies: When They Help
Not every intermediary is a bad deal. Staffing firms that the employer pays can be a legitimate route into warehouse or factory work. The warning sign is any agency that charges you. The Federal Trade Commission notes that honest placement firms typically do not charge job candidates, and several states license employment agencies and limit the fees they can collect from workers. Before signing with any agency, check whether it is licensed with your state labor department and never hand over your passport or other identity documents to be “held.”
How to Spot a Job Scam
The FTC’s job scam guidance lists the patterns that cost job seekers the most:
- Being asked to pay for training, a “starter kit,” certification or a job guarantee.
- Receiving a check, being told to deposit it and send part of the money elsewhere. The check bounces and you owe the bank.
- Being “hired” to receive packages and reship them, often overseas. The FTC says reshipping goods is never a real job.
- High pay for little work, or a job offer before any interview.
- Ads for federal or Postal Service jobs that charge a fee. Real ones are free on USAJobs.gov.
Report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general. If you paid by card, wire or app, contact the payment provider immediately and ask to reverse the transaction.
The “Training Fee” That Arrived Before the Job
The following is an illustrative composite based on job scams commonly reported by recent immigrants. It is not a single person’s case.
A woman who had recently received her work permit answered an online ad for a home care aide position in New Jersey. Within an hour, the “recruiter” offered her the job over a messaging app, with no interview, and asked for $180 for a background check and training materials, payable by gift card. She checked the company name on the state’s business registry and found nothing, and the phone number traced to a different state.
She did not pay. Instead she applied directly through the career page of a licensed home care agency, which ran its background check at no cost to her and asked for her I-9 documents only after making a written offer. The difference between the two employers was visible before either interview: one asked for money, the other did not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work while my EAD renewal is pending?
Only if your current card is still valid, your status itself authorizes work, or your renewal was filed before 30 October 2025 and qualifies for the old automatic extension. Otherwise, you may have to stop working until the new card arrives.
Can an employer ask for my green card specifically?
No. You choose which acceptable documents to present for Form I-9. Demanding a specific document can be unlawful discrimination.
Do I have wage rights if my status is uncertain?
Yes. The Department of Labor enforces minimum wage and overtime for hours actually worked regardless of immigration status.
Is it legal for a job agency to charge me a fee?
It depends on the state, and many limit or regulate such fees. Legitimate employers do not charge you to be hired. Check the agency’s license with your state labor department.
Disclaimer
This article provides general information as of the review date above and is not legal advice. Immigration and employment rules change frequently, and your rights depend on your specific status and state. Consult a licensed immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative about your situation. Find Attorneys may receive compensation from some websites linked on this site.
