The spouse and dependent children of the employee sponsored for a green card are eligible for derivative legal permanent residence. As part of the Adjustment of Status application the dependents are also eligible to file an application for employment authorization document (EAD) and/or Advance Parole (travel authorization) to use in place of their current nonimmigrant status. Once the EAD is issued, the holder of the EAD may work and use the advance parole for travel. Both the Advance Parole and the EAD are granted for a limited amount of time. Therefore, there may be a need to request an extension of both the EAD and travel authorization. Applications for such extensions should be filed as soon as possible. Please discuss this extension with the attorney handling your green card application.
Under certain circumstances, spouses in H-4 status become eligible for an EAD earlier on in the green card application process. Please refer to Applying for an EAD while in H-4 Status for more information