USCIS Announces Revisions in the Employment Authorization Document (EAD)
It has been announced by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) stating the revisions in the Employment Authorization Document (EAD), or Form I-766. The revision has made in order to add a machine-readable zone on the back of the EAD cards.
In general, an Employment Authorization Document, also known as the U.S. work permit visa is issued to an immigrant by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The permit lets the holder to legally work in the United States. Immigrants who are in the U.S. temporarily can request for an EAD by filing the Form I-766.
The validity of the EAD cards depends on the foreign national’s immigration situation. An immigrant possessing a valid EAD card is allowed to work anywhere in the United States provided they employer does not have citizenship requirements. The employer also does not have to file a non-immigrant worker petition if the employee possesses an EAD card.
The EAD cards are issued under two categories, namely renewal EAD’s and Replacement EAD’s, by the USCIS. An individual can apply for renewal of the EAD card only 120 days before the current EAD expires. The EAD card can be replaced when lost, stolen, or damaged. EAD cards with incorrect information or misspelled name will also be replaced by the USCIS.
The USCIS has revised the EAD cards as an initiative to dissuade immigration fraud. The USCIS has begun issuing the revised EAD cards since May 11, 2010. The machine-readable zone complies with International Civil Aviation Organization standards. The two-dimensional bar code that existed on the backside of the previous version card has been removed. Further, the informational box of text has been shifted just below the magnetic stripe on the card. All the security features of the previous version have been retained in the revised EAD cards.
The USCIS has collaborated with the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement and the Customs and Border Protection to revise the EAD cards.