USCIS Rolls Out New Version of Employment Authorization Document (EAD)

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has introduced a new version of Form I-766, the Employment Authorization Document, which henceforth will have a machine-readable area on the back of the card. USCIS began issuing the new EADs in May, as part of a continuing effort to tamp down document fraud. The new machine-readable area is designed to comply with International Civil Aviation Organization standards, according to the USCIS. Other changes include moving a text box up from its old location, to just below the magnetic stripe, and removing the two-dimensional bar code from the reverse side of the card. All other security features from the old EAD will remain in the new version, USCIS says. To view a specimen of the new EAD, see the USCIS WebSite. The new EAD joins a revised green card in the lineup of key USCIS documents.