The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it will be issuing a new green card and EAD (employment authorization document) design on January 30, 2023. In a press release, the immigration agency argues that this change will be beneficial in terms of security, as the new design incorporates more modern features than the previous one, launched in 2017.
Enhanced security in new green card design
Some new or improved aspects are highly secure holographic images on the front and back of the cards, a layer reveal feature with a partial window on the back of the photo box, and data fields displayed in different places than on previous versions of the cards. On these lines, the USCIS Director said that this initiative is part of the agency’s “commitment to taking a proactive approach against the threat of secure document tampering, counterfeiting, and fraud”.
This is how the new 2023 green card design look like
What to do if you already have a green card or an EAD card
The existing green card or EAD cards will still be valid and do not need to be renewed. Current cards will be valid until their expiration date. For those older green cards without expiration date, applicants can continue using them but are encouraged to request a replacement card. This way, they will receive the new design and will minimize the chance of fraud or tampering if their card gets lost or stolen.
New green card applicants – which design will you get?
If you are a prospective green card applicant, you will most likely get the new design. However, during the first days or weeks after January 30, 2023 petitioners may still get the old design because USCIS will deplete the stock of cards before switching to the new ones.
Of course, to get the green card you first have to go through the whole process. If you are applying for an EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) green card, you need to submit your I-140 package first. Then USCIS will review your case and communicate their decision. If you want to know how long it will take for your case to be processed you can read this blog post. If you are looking for rates of success then you might want to check this article instead.