Immigration

If the government gives you T visa status, you are automatically granted employment authorization, which is the ability to work legally. You do not actually need an employment authorization document (EAD), also called a “work permit,” because you can use your T visa approval notice to prove you can work, and to get a Social Security card. That said, life can be easier if you have a work permit, and the good news is that you do not need to fill out separate paperwork to request one; your T visa application acts as an application for a work permit¹

If you are asking for T visa status for your family members (“derivatives”) to also get T visa status, work authorization does not come automatically with their derivative T visa status. They will have to ask for work authorization and must have a work permit to work legally. ² 

In 2024, a new process was created for some people to get a work permit even before their T visa is granted. It can be granted once they have submitted a T visa application and USCIS confirms it is “bona fide,” which is a Latin term that means “in good faith.” It is possible for certain family member derivatives to receive a work permit in this way too.

¹ 8 C.F.R. § 214.204(o)(3)
² 8 C.F.R. § 214.211(i)(3)