Effective May 1, 2017, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin issuing new Permanent Resident Cards (commonly called Green Cards) and Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) as part of its effort to prevent document tampering and fraud. The new Green Cards will have an image of the Statue of Liberty and have a predominately green palette. They will display the individual’s photo on both sides of the card and have embedded holographic images. The Green Cards will no longer have an optical strip on the back of the card nor display the individual’s signature.
The new EADs will display an image of a bald eagle and will have a predominately red palette. Like the new Green Cards, the new EADs will display the individual’s photo on both sides of the card; have embedded holographic images; and no longer display the individual’s signature.
It is important to note that some Green Cards and EADs issued after May 1, 2017, will not be of the new design until USCIS depletes its existing card stock. Both card designs will be valid until the expiration date indicated on the card. An image from the USCIS website depicts the new card designs above.
For those tasked with reviewing immigration documentation – particularly those responsible for I-9 compliance – it is important to keep abreast of design changes of this sort. Contact Stock and Leader’s Immigration Law Group with questions on this matter or any other immigration-related issue.