How to find a job in the USA as an immigrant: work authorization, I-9, degrees and your rights

To find a job in the USA as an immigrant, you first need the right to work: citizenship, a green card, a work visa or an EAD work permit. Your employer checks it on Form I-9 when you start, and many also run it through E-Verify. After that the search works like anyone else's: resume, interview, a degree evaluation. Below are the rules, the deadlines and public help.

Who can work in the US

Every US employer must complete Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) for every person it hires, citizen or not. So the question "will they hire me" starts with "do I have a document that works for the I-9".

The common cases for our readers:

• Green card (Permanent Resident Card, Form I-551). You can work for any employer.
• EAD work permit (card I-766 with a photo). Who qualifies and how to apply is covered in our guide to the EAD work permit and Form I-765.
• An employer-specific work visa, such as H-1B. Here the document is your foreign passport plus an I-94 record endorsed to work for that specific employer.

You will also want a Social Security number for payroll. If you do not have one yet, read how to get an SSN in the USA.

If your status has expired, your EAD is still pending, you have worked without authorization before, or you have prior denials, do not guess. A mistake here can hurt a future green card case. Talk to an immigration attorney through our directory of lawyers.

Form I-9: which documents your employer can ask for

You fill in Section 1. The employer fills in Section 2 after examining your documents.

Deadlines checked on October 28, 2026 at uscis.gov. The current Form I-9 edition is dated 01/20/25.

You choose what to show: one document from List A, or one from List B plus one from List C.

Good to know:

• Documents must be original and unexpired. The only copy accepted is a certified copy of a birth certificate.
• If you show an acceptable List A document, the employer should not ask for List B or C, and the other way around.
• If a document was lost, stolen or damaged, a receipt for the replacement may be accepted for a limited time in some cases.
• Your SSN is optional in Section 1 unless the employer uses E-Verify, in which case it must be provided.

The full list, checked October 28, 2026, is on the USCIS page Form I-9 Acceptable Documents.

E-Verify: what to do about a mismatch

E-Verify is an online system that compares your I-9 information with DHS and SSA records. Employers that use it must post the E-Verify and Right to Work notices where applicants can see them. They may create a case only after you accept the job offer and complete the I-9, never to screen candidates.

A transliterated surname or an entry date recorded differently can produce a mismatch (tentative nonconfirmation). Then:

1. Your employer must give you a Further Action Notice.
2. You decide whether to resolve it. If you do, you get a Referral Date Confirmation.
3. You then have 8 federal government working days to contact DHS or SSA.

You keep working while the case is open, and the employer may not fire you or take other adverse action because you are resolving it. Checked October 28, 2026 at e-verify.gov.

A foreign degree in the US: evaluation and licenses

The US Department of Education says it does not evaluate foreign degrees. The decision belongs to whoever you show the degree to: the employer for a job, the state licensing board for a licensed profession, the school for admission, immigration authorities for a visa.

In most cases they will ask for a credential evaluation, a report on how your degree compares with US degrees. Private, non-governmental companies do it for a fee that depends on the complexity of the case. They generally want English translations of non-English documents.

• Ask the employer's HR office or the licensing board which evaluation service they accept. Some require a specific one.
• There is no federal regulation of these services, and two services can rate the same degree differently.
• Most services have an appeal process if the result looks wrong.

Regulated professions are generally licensed at the state level. Depending on the state and the profession, the board, a general evaluation service or a specialized one does the evaluation. Start with the licensing board's site in the state where you plan to work.

How to look for work: resume, interview and public help

What follows is common practice, not an official rule. A US resume is shorter and plainer than the post-Soviet kind. It usually runs one or two pages, starts with your latest job and shows results in numbers. A photo, date of birth, marital status and nationality are not expected. Explain job titles and universities briefly where an American reader would not recognize them.

Interviewers want concrete stories: the task, what you did, the result. The employer cannot specify which I-9 documents you present; that choice is yours. Better English widens the field; see our list of English classes for Russian speakers.

About 2,300 American Job Centers operate nationwide. The Department of Labor says they offer job search help, job referrals and placement help, with programs for people with disabilities, veterans, youth and older workers. Some services have eligibility rules; check with your local center. Find one with the CareerOneStop finder or the Labor Department line 1-877-US-2JOBS (TTY 1-877-872-5627). Details are on the American Job Centers page at dol.gov.

Minimum wage, overtime and discrimination

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, in effect since July 24, 2009, under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Many states set a higher minimum, and employers must comply with both, so the higher rate applies. Covered nonexempt workers get at least time and one-half for hours over 40 in a workweek. Checked October 28, 2026 at dol.gov.

National origin discrimination is illegal. According to the EEOC, that includes unfavorable treatment because of ethnicity or accent and offensive remarks about them. A job ad may not prefer or require applicants from a particular country or with a particular visa status. EEOC coverage applies to employers with 15 or more employees. File through the EEOC Public Portal, in general within 180 calendar days. The deadline is extended to 300 calendar days if a state or local agency enforces a similar anti-discrimination law.

If you are refused, fired or treated unfairly when proving your right to work because of citizenship or immigration status, contact the Justice Department's Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER). Charges are due within 180 days; the worker hotline is 1-800-255-7688. Wage laws are enforced by the Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division; complaints are confidential, phone 1-866-487-9243.

Job scams: warning signs and where to report

The Federal Trade Commission lists the usual red flags:

• you are asked to pay for a starter kit, training or a certification;
• you get a check to deposit and are told to send part of the money on;
• you are offered work receiving and reshipping packages (the FTC says this is never a real job);
• big money fast for little work;
• a placement firm wants a fee up front;
• someone charges for a federal or postal job, though applying for those is free.

If you already paid, contact the service you used to send the money right away and ask whether the payment can be reversed. Then report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general.

Questions people ask

Can an employer insist on seeing my green card or EAD?

No. Under the USCIS rules for Form I-9, you choose the documents: one from List A, or one from List B plus one from List C. If you present an acceptable List A document, the employer should not ask for others. The documents must be original and unexpired.

What should I do if E-Verify shows a mismatch?

Your employer must give you a Further Action Notice. If you choose to resolve it, after the Referral Date Confirmation you have 8 federal government working days to contact DHS or SSA. You keep working the whole time, and the employer may not fire you for resolving it.

Who evaluates a Russian or Ukrainian degree in the US?

The US Department of Education does not evaluate degrees. For a job the employer decides; for a licensed profession the state licensing board decides. They usually ask for a paid report from a private credential evaluation service, so ask in advance which service they accept.

What is the minimum wage in the US?

The federal minimum is $7.25 an hour, unchanged since July 24, 2009. Many states set a higher minimum, and employers must pay the higher rate. Covered nonexempt workers also get at least time and one-half for hours over 40 in a workweek, according to the US Department of Labor.

Is it normal to pay a fee to get a job?

No. The Federal Trade Commission says honest employers, including the federal government, never ask you to pay to get a job. Upfront fees for training, a starter kit or a placement agency are a sign of a scam. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or to your state attorney general.