EAD Card Issues

EAD Card Typographical Error Procedures: Due to Personal Error

If your EAD contains incorrect information due to an error that you made during the application process, you must submit a new I-765 application. You should be prepared to apply online with the following documents:

• A new Form I-765
  
• The filing fee
• An updated I-20 that shows your OPT as Approved (rather than Requested). You can obtain an updated I-20 by submitting the Replacement and Travel I-20 Request through the MyISSC eForm Portal.

EAD Card Typographical Error Procedures: Due to USCIS Error

If your EAD contains incorrect information because of a USCIS error, USCIS will make the appropriate correction at no additional cost to you. These could be typographical errors in the spelling of your name, your date of birth, or your country of origin.

For example, if your name is "Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dalí y Domenech," and the EAD card says "Salvador Felipe Ja," this is not an EAD card error. The EAD card has a character limit of 18 characters for the first name, last name, and middle name fields, including spaces. This means that your first name will be truncated on both your EAD card and SSN. If your name was listed incorrectly as "Santiago" instead of "Salvador," then this is a typographical error and you will need to submit a case.

In these cases, you do not need to submit a new Form I-765 or a filing fee. Instead, you must submit:

• The original card containing the error
• A detailed letter of explanation of the card error
• Any supporting documentation on the correct information
  • The ISSC recommends submitting an updated I-20 that shows your OPT as Approved (rather than Requested). You can obtain an updated I-20 by submitting the Replacement and Travel I-20 Request through the MyISSC eForm Portal.

Please follow these instructions carefully to submit your request:

1. Go to the USCIS e-request page.
2. Fill out and submit the "Typographic Error" e-form.
3. You will receive an email with instructions. Follow the instructions to mail your EAD back to USCIS. If you do not receive an email from USCIS within a few days, and/or if you have a tight timeline, please reach out to ISSC.

Supply all necessary information on the USCIS Typographic Error e-form including your letter of explanation of events in the “Please describe the error” section. Here are some suggestions on what to include:

(Letter of Explanation)

1. The date;
2. Your personal identifying information:
   • Full name as indicated on your I-20,
   • Date of birth,
   • SEVIS ID number,
   • USCIS Receipt Number for the EAD card with the error;
3. A detailed explanation of your situation (example: your date of birth is incorrect);
4. A statement indicating that you have enclosed supporting documentation that provides the correct information (for example, your incorrect EAD card and your passport that shows your correct date of birth, and a copy of your Post OPT I-20);
5. A statement requesting USCIS to mail the new corrected EAD card to you;
6. The U.S. address that you would like the new EAD card to be mailed to;
7. Your signature (only if mailing the letter of explanation with the card)

Please note that in either case, if they receive your application or request for a replacement EAD and you no longer have any basis for applying for an EAD or employment authorization, they will not return the card and will notify you that you do not have a current basis for applying for an EAD or employment authorization.

Replacement EAD: Requesting a Lost, Stolen, Destroyed EAD Card

If your EAD card previously issued to you was lost, stolen or destroyed, you must file a new I-765 application with USCIS for a replacement. Please note that this cannot be done if you are outside the U.S. as an I-765 application must be filed from within the U.S.

If you need a replacement EAD card because it was lost, stolen or damaged, USCIS and the ISSC strongly recommend that you file a new I-765 application online for the fastest response time.

To apply online, we suggest the following:

• File a new online I-765 for the purpose of a replacement as follows:
  
• The Form I-765 filing fee
• We recommend providing a letter explaining your case. (Please see the Letter of Explanation above.)
• Copy of an updated I-20 showing OPT as approved. You can obtain an updated I-20 by submitting the Replacement and Travel I-20 Request through the MyISSC eForm Portal.

Replacement EAD: Requesting a new EAD Card due to Date Issues

If you have an EAD card that contains errors with the validity dates on the card itself, then you will also need to request a corrected EAD card from USCIS. Please note that this does not apply if USCIS adjudicates your dates to a later time frame because of long processing wait times, but only if your dates are incorrect and differ drastically from what you requested in your I-765 application.

For example, if your I-20 says that your OPT REQUESTED start date is 06/01/24 and end date is 05/31/25 and USCIS took additional time to process your application due to the high volume of applicants, and you didn’t receive your EAD until 07/10/24. Your EAD card may show a start date of 07/03/2024 and end date of 07/02/2025. USCIS has adjusted your dates accordingly to compensate for the delay in processing times, so this is not an EAD card with a date issue. However, if you receive your EAD card in April of 2024 and they issued you an EAD card with dates of 04-01-2022 to 03-31-23, then this would indicate an EAD card with a date error, and you would need to request a Corrected EAD card.

To apply for a corrected EAD card because of date validity issues, we suggest that you send the following:

1. A copy of the approval notice you received for your OPT application AND a copy of the barcode sheet that came with your EAD (if possible)
2. A letter explaining your situation and the error in your validity dates.
3. Copy of an updated I-20 showing OPT as approved. You can obtain an updated I-20 by submitting the Replacement and Travel I-20 Request through the MyISSC eForm Portal.
4. Please send the following documentation to the following address for validity card errors:

The ISSC recommends that if you send your documentation in the mail to USCIS, that you ensure receipt by using a tracking delivery method.