I-9 Documents for TPS (Temporary Protected Status) Holders
Which acceptable documents work, and your right to choose them. General info, not legal advice.
With Temporary Protected Status, your EAD (Form I-766, usually category A12 or C19) is a List A document.
How I-9 documents work
To complete Form I-9 you show your employer either one document from List A (which proves both who you are and that you’re authorized to work) or one document from List B (identity) plus one from List C (work authorization). You never need all three, it’s List A, or List B + List C. See the full lists of acceptable documents.
Documents you’ll commonly use
TPS EADs are sometimes automatically extended by a Federal Register notice. When that happens, Form I-766 plus the notice are used together past the printed expiration date, and your employer records both.
Check the current notice for your country rather than relying on a date you were told, because extension periods are set per country and per notice and they change. If your employer has not seen this before, the Federal Register notice is the document that does the explaining, and category codes A12 and C19 are what they should be matching against the front of your card.
You choose which documents to show, not your employer
This matters: you decide which acceptable documents to present. An employer cannot require a specific document, reject a valid one, or ask for more than the I-9 requires, doing so is illegal “document abuse.” The documents described here are common examples for your situation, not a required list.
This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Rules depend on your individual circumstances, check USCIS I-9 Central or a qualified immigration attorney for your situation.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The Form I-766 EAD (categories A12 or C19) is a List A document. If it’s auto-extended by a Federal Register notice, the card plus the notice document your continued authorization.
Possibly, if a Federal Register notice automatically extended it. Bring the EAD and the notice; your employer can accept them together for the extension period. Verify the current notice for your country.