im a citizen and i file form i-130 for my father. but he needs to work. can i file for form i-765 before filling form i-485.

A US citizen can sponsor his father for a green card as long as the father entered the United States with permission. This is despite the fact that the father is out of status. You file the I 130 together with the I 485 and the I 765 and you can get a work permit for Dad pending the adjustment of status interview. However, here in Florida the i 765 is taking about 9 to 12 months to process. Often times, the green card is issued before the I 765. So it would make more sense just to file the 485 now with the 765.