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On January 30, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a redesign of permanent resident cards (green cards) and employment authorization documents (EADs). The new cards feature state-of-the-art fraud protection technology that aims to combat document counterfeiting and tampering. This redesign is one of the ways in which USCIS is actively pursuing a proactive approach to fraud prevention. USCIS Director Ur Jaddou said, “Consistent updates to secure documents, informed by our knowledge of the latest methods of bad actors and the innovation and ingenuity of our staff, ensure the continued integrity of secure documents issued by our agency.”
The fraud prevention technology featured in the redesign aims to make it more difficult to counterfeit, alter, or tamper with the cards. According to a Government Accountability Office report from September 2022, USCIS has received more than 65,000 immigration benefit fraud leads since the previous versions of the cards were released in 2017. The frequent redesign of the cards makes it harder for bad actors to develop effective counterfeiting methods. Further, each redesign capitalizes on technological advancements to make security improvements to the cards. This edition’s improvements include a layer-reveal feature, enhanced optically variable ink, and highly detailed artwork and holographic imaging. Some of these changes are apparent when comparing the new cards to the previous versions of the cards issued in 2017.
Permanent Resident Cards
2017 Version:
Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
2023 Version:
Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Employment Authorization Documents
2017 Version:
Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
2023 Version:
Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
USCIS began issuing the new green cards and EADs on January 30, 2023. The redesign has no effect on prior versions of the cards, which remain valid until their expiration dates.
Ogletree Deakins’ Immigration Practice Group will continue to monitor USCIS developments and will post updates on the Immigration blog as additional information becomes available. Important information for employers is also available via the firm’s webinar and podcast programs.
