I am on H-4 visa and my husband is on H-1 visa since 2008. We have an approved I-140 and have applied for a three year extension on the basis of approved I-140 on May 8, 2015, but we have not got any confirmation from USCIS yet, so my concern is that can I apply for a H-4 EAD before our visa extension is approved.
See clip from Attorney Rajiv S. Khanna's conference call video that addresses this question.
https://youtu.be/tSRYmjhoEzA?t=928
FAQ Transcript:
You can apply for EAD. But USCIS has said they don’t like the idea of separating the applications as it can cause delays. Personally I think that’s baloney. I would file it if I were you. You have two options. You can premium the H-1 then H-4 gets premium. Kind of piggy bank on it and when the H-1 is approved file EAD as long as you have a receipt number. I don’t see why it should be a problem. So your choice I would file it.