Notice2024-24367
Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently Approved Collection: Application for Employment Authorization
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 22, 2024
Issuing agencies
Homeland Security DepartmentU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Abstract
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment upon this proposed revision of a currently approved collection of information. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the information collection notice is published in the Federal Register to obtain comments regarding the nature of the information collection, the categories of respondents, the estimated burden (i.e. the time, effort, and resources used by the respondents to respond), the estimated cost to the respondent, and the actual information collection instruments.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 204 (Tuesday, October 22, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 204 (Tuesday, October 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 84373-84374]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-24367]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
[OMB Control Number 1615-0040]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently
Approved Collection: Application for Employment Authorization
AGENCY: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of
Homeland Security.
ACTION: 60-Day notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration Services (USCIS) invites the general public and other
Federal agencies to comment upon this proposed revision of a currently
approved collection of information. In accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the information collection notice is
published in the Federal Register to obtain comments regarding the
nature of the information collection, the categories of respondents,
the estimated burden (i.e. the time, effort, and resources used by the
respondents to respond), the estimated cost to the respondent, and the
actual information collection instruments.
DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted for 60 days until
December 23, 2024.
ADDRESSES: All submissions received must include the OMB Control Number
1615-0040 in the body of the letter, the agency name and Docket ID
USCIS-2005-0035. Submit comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal
website at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> under e-Docket ID number USCIS-
2005-0035.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: USCIS, Office of Policy and Strategy,
Regulatory Coordination Division, Samantha Deshommes, Chief, telephone
number (240) 721-3000 (This is not a toll-free number. Comments are not
accepted via telephone message). Please note contact information
provided here is solely for questions regarding this notice. It is not
for individual case status inquiries. Applicants seeking information
about the status of their individual cases can check Case Status
Online, available at the USCIS website at <a href="https://www.uscis.gov">https://www.uscis.gov</a>, or
call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments:
You may access the information collection instrument with
instructions
[[Page 84374]]
or additional information by visiting the Federal eRulemaking Portal
site at: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and entering USCIS-2005-0035 in
the search box. All comments must be submitted in English or be
accompanied by a translation. All submissions will be posted, without
change, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, and will include any personal information you
provide. Therefore, submitting this information makes it public. You
may wish to consider limiting the amount of personal information that
you provide in any voluntary submission you make to DHS. DHS may
withhold information provided in comments from public viewing that it
determines may impact the privacy of an individual or is offensive. For
additional information, please read the Privacy Act notice that is
available via the link in the footer of <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected
agencies should address one or more of the following four points:
(1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
(2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
(4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic
submission of responses.
In addition to the specific changes proposed to the USCIS Form I-
765 and accompanying instructions in this 60-day notice, USCIS is
exploring additional technology and internal process improvements to
further reduce the burden to those applying for initial employment
authorization, seeking evidence of existing employment authorization,
or employment authorization incident to status or an Employment
Authorization Document (EAD). USCIS specifically requests comments on
the submission of passport-style photos during the application process
and expanding the options available to filers for submission of photos
through the use of emerging technologies, such as a smartphone
application that would allow for the capture and submission of
passport-style photos necessary to produce an EAD. Finally, please
provide detailed reasons why USCIS should or should not consider use of
the mobile app or alternate technology for photo capture.
USCIS specifically requests comments on providing alternative means
to apply for employment authorization or evidence of existing
employment authorization that could substitute for submitting a
separate Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. Comments
may also address a proposal to provide applicants the option to consent
to USCIS sharing certain information from their benefit requests with
the Social Security Administration (SSA) for the purposes of having the
SSA assign the applicant a Social Security Number and issue the
applicant a new or replacement Social Security Card upon approval of
the underlying benefit request. USCIS anticipates that it would still
collect the required filing fee associated with any alternative request
for employment authorization or evidence of existing employment
authorization that does not use the Form I-765, Application for
Employment Authorization, pursuant to 8 CFR 106.1(a) (The fees
established in [Part 106] are associated with the benefit, the
adjudication, or the type of request and not solely determined by the
form number listed in [8 CFR] 106.2). If there is not an interest,
provide detailed reasons why there is not.
Overview of This Information Collection
(1) Type of Information Collection: Revision of a Currently
Approved Collection.
(2) Title of the Form/Collection: Application for Employment
Authorization.
(3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the
DHS sponsoring the collection: I-765; USCIS.
(4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as
well as a brief abstract: Primary: Individuals or households. Form I-
765 collects information needed to determine if an alien is eligible
for an initial EAD, a replacement EAD, or a subsequent EAD upon the
expiration of a previous EAD under the same eligibility category.
Aliens in many immigration statuses are required to possess an EAD as
evidence of work authorization. To be authorized for employment, an
alien must be lawfully admitted for permanent residence or authorized
to be so employed by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) or under
regulations issued by DHS. Pursuant to statutory or regulatory
authorization, certain classes of aliens are authorized to be employed
in the United States without restrictions as to location or type of
employment as a condition of their admission or subsequent change to
one of the indicated classes. USCIS may determine the validity period
assigned to any document issued evidencing an alien's authorization to
work in the United States. These classes of aliens authorized to accept
employment are listed in 8 CFR 274a.12. USCIS also collects biometric
information from certain EAD applicants to verify the applicant's
identity, check or update their background information, and produce the
EAD card. An applicant for employment authorization can apply for a
Social Security Number (SSN) and Social Security card using Form I-765.
(5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount
of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: The estimated
total number of respondents for the information collection I-765
(paper) is 3,816,321 and the estimated hour burden per response is 4.26
hours; the estimated total number of respondents for the information
collection I-765 (electronic) is 2,339,036 and the estimated hour
burden per response is 3.88 hours; the estimated total number of
respondents for the information collection Form I-765WS is 355,790 and
the estimated hour burden per response is .50 hours; the estimated
total number of respondents for the information collection Biometric
Processing is 2,242 and the estimated hour burden per response is 1.17
hours; the estimated total number of respondents for the information
collection Passport-Style Photographs is 6,153,115 and the estimated
hour burden per response is .50 hours.
(6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated
with the collection: The total estimated annual hour burden associated
with this collection is 28,590,063 hours.
(7) An estimate of the total public burden (in cost) associated
with the collection: The estimated total annual cost burden associated
with this collection of information is $1,079,442,537.
Dated: October 16, 2024.
Jerry L. Rigdon,
Deputy Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division, Office of Policy and
Strategy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of
Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2024-24367 Filed 10-21-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-97-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on October 22, 2024.
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