USCIS Revises the Employment Authorization Document

26 May 2010

USCIS announced yesterday that it has revised Form I-766, the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) to include the addition of a machine-readable area on the back of the card. This update is part of USCIS’s goal to limit cases of immigration fraud. The federal agency began issuing the revised EAD cards on May 11. The new card is compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization standards.

In addition to the new area on the back of the card, USCIS has also removed the two-dimensional bar code on the backside of the EAD and has moved the informational box of text to just beneath the card’s magnetic strip. These changes to the card are part of an extensive collaborative effort of various sections of the Department of Homeland Security, including USCIS, Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.