The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced new designs to improve the security of Permanent Resident Cards (also known as Green Cards or Green Cards) and Employment Authorization Documents (EADs). USCIS will begin issuing the redesigned cards on January 30, 2023.

The new designs for permanent resident cards and EADs contain cutting-edge technology that continues to safeguard national security and improve services to our customers. Changes include updated and improved detailed illustrations; tactile impression that integrates better with the design; improved variable optical ink; highly secure holographic images on the front and back of the cards; a new layer reveal feature with a partial window in the back photo frame; and data fields placed in different places than in previous versions.  

“This redesign further demonstrates USCIS's commitment to taking a proactive approach against the threat of secure document tampering, forgery, and fraud,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. "Consistent updates to secure documents, based on our knowledge of the latest fraudster methods and the innovation and ingenuity of our staff, ensures the continued integrity of secure documents issued by our agency."

The introduction of the new designs does not mean that the current issued cards are no longer valid. Current cards remain valid until their expiration date (unless otherwise noted, such as through an automatic extension of a permanent resident card or EAD as noted on Form I-797, Notice of Action, or in a Federal Register notice).

Some permanent resident cards and EADs issued after January 30, 2023 may display the format of the current design because USCIS will continue to use the existing cardstock until current supplies run out. Both versions of the cards are acceptable for the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification; E-verify; and the Program for the Systematic Verification of Alien Rights (SAVE). Some older permanent resident cards do not have an expiration date. These cards are generally valid. However, USCIS encourages applicants with old cards to consider applying for a replacement card to avoid the possibility of fraud or tampering if the card is lost or stolen.

USCIS launched the current cards in May 2017. To mitigate the risk of fraud and forgery, the USCIS Document Management Division of the Office of Document Entry and Production redesigns the cards every three to five years. The redesign of the cards is part of the Secure Identification Platform (SIP) project, which began in 2019 with extensive market research. The USCIS Document Management Division met with key industry leaders and stakeholders to learn about good industry practices.