I received my first-time H4 EAD card, but my H4 I-539 extension is still pending. Can I get my SSN and start working?
Yes, you can start working and get your Social Security Number (SSN). Because you have an approved, unexpired Employment Authorization Document (EAD), you are authorized to work, even while your I-539 extension is still pending.
You can cross this worry off your list: your approved EAD stands on its own as proof that you can lawfully work right now.
USCIS policy generally states that they will not make a decision on your work permit (Form I-765) until after they adjudicate your H4 extension (Form I-539). However, because USCIS already approved and issued your EAD, it is valid for use.
You are authorized to work through the expiration date printed on the EAD. You can present this card to your employer to prove your right to work.
You asked if a future denial of your pending I-539 would retroactively invalidate the work you do now. The official rules do not explicitly address whether a future I-539 denial triggers an EAD revocation. However, no official rule indicates that work performed under a facially valid, approved EAD is retroactively invalidated.
