Q: Can my husband continue to work on his H-4 EAD card after my green card approval?

A: Congratulations on your green card approval! That’s a big milestone—and your concern about your husband’s status is completely valid and very common in adjustment of status filings. Now that you're a permanent resident, he can continue using his H-4 EAD until it expires, as long as his H-4 status remains valid. If his visa category is current and his adjustment of status is still pending when his H-4 or EAD nears expiration, you can consider applying for a C(09) EAD based on the pending green card application.

A: Once you became a lawful permanent resident, your husband is no longer eligible to maintain H-4 status, as that classification is only for dependents of H-1B visa holders. Although his H-4 EAD (category C26) may appear valid through April 2026, it is only valid as long as he remains in valid H-4 status. Since his underlying H-4 status likely ended when your H-1B status terminated, his work authorization under that EAD also ended.

He should not continue working on the H-4 EAD. Instead, he should:

• Cease working immediately to avoid unauthorized employment;

• Apply for or begin using a category C09 EAD (based on his pending I-485), if available.

It is important to review his current immigration status and timeline with an attorney to avoid status violations or impact to his pending green card case.

A: You're asking an important question at a moment of change, and it’s great that you’re thinking ahead for your husband’s stability. Since he currently holds an H-4 visa with an EAD under code (c)(26), his ability to keep working depends on whether he still maintains valid H-4 status. The challenge here is that your adjustment of status approval may have indirectly affected his H-4 status, especially if your underlying H-1B petition is no longer valid due to your green card approval.

If his H-4 status is no longer valid, then technically, the (c)(26) EAD would not remain valid either—even though the card hasn’t expired. To continue working legally, he would likely need an EAD based on his own pending I-485 application, which would be issued under code (c)(9). If you both filed adjustment of status together, he should become eligible for a (c)(9) EAD soon, and applying for that now is a good step to stay protected.

Until you get confirmation that his H-4 status is still intact, it’s risky to assume he can keep working just based on the card’s expiration date. You’re right to be cautious—it’s better to clear this up now than face complications later. Reaching out to USCIS or checking with an accredited legal aid service can help clarify his current status and what he should file next. You’re looking out for him, and that kind of care matters now more than ever.