USCIS Starts Issuing Redesigned Green Cards and EADs

Starting May 1, 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) will start producing and issuing redesigned Permanent Resident Cards (also known as Green Cards) and the Employment Authorization Document (EADs).

The redesign comes under USCIS’s “Next Generation Secure Identification Document Project”  which is essentially an effort to increase the security of certain identification documents.    These redesigns will use enhanced graphics and fraud-resistant security features to create cards that, according to USCIS, are “highly secure and more tamper-resistant than the cards currently in use.”

The Redesigned Cards

The new Green Cards and EADs will:

• Display the individual’s photos on both sides;
• Show a unique graphic image and color palette:
  – Green Cards will have an image of the Statue of Liberty and a green palette;
  – EAD cards will have an image of a bald eagle and a red palette;
  – Have embedded holographic images; and
  – No longer display the individual’s signature.
• Green Cards will also no longer have an optical stripe on the back.

Employers:  How To Tell If a Card Is Valid

Employers should be aware of the changes to these designs and understand that, at least for a period of time, there will be a variety of green card and EAD designs in circulation, all of which are valid and acceptable form of identity and employment authorization, depending on the terms and validity of the document.

Additionally, some Green Cards and EADs issued after May 1, 2017, may still display the existing design format, as USCIS will continue using existing card stock until current supplies are depleted. Both the existing and the new Green Cards and EADs will remain valid until the expiration date shown on the card.

Both the new and existing versions of the Green Card and EAD are acceptable for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification and E-Verify. Some older Green Cards do not have an expiration date. These older Green Cards without an expiration date also remain valid.

Conclusion

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