| Dear Stakeholder,
Certain Afghan nationals who were paroled into the United States as part of Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) were issued Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) with incorrect information or are experiencing delivery delays. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has provided guidance on how affected individuals may obtain corrected documents.
Errors on EADs
If an EAD has an error, such as an incorrect name or birthdate, the individual should submit the following to USCIS:
- The original EAD containing the error;
- A description of what information on the card is incorrect, such as first and/or last name and/or date of birth;
- The individual’s U.S. mailing address; and
- Copies of supporting documentation, translated as appropriate, that show the correct information.
There is no fee to request a corrected EAD, and no need to file a new Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, in this particular circumstance. You can find additional guidance, including a unique mailing address and attention line, and examples of primary, secondary and alternatives to supporting documentation, on USCIS’ Information for Afghanspage under the “Information about Employment Authorization” section. You can learn how to track the delivery of your EAD on USCIS’ How to Track Delivery of Your Green Card, Employment Authorization Document (EAD), and Travel Document page.
EADs Sent to the International Organization for Migration (IOM)
USCIS clarified guidance for Afghan nationals who have not yet received their EADs. If USCIS sent an Afghan national’s EAD to IOM, the process to obtain the EAD depends on whether a resettlement agency affiliate helped the individual.
- For Afghan nationals who were helped by a resettlement affiliate: IOM will mail their EADs to the resettlement affiliate. The resettlement affiliate will be responsible for giving the EAD to the individual.
- For Afghan nationals who were not helped by a resettlement affiliate: IOM will mail their EADs to the forwarding address the individual provided upon leaving a safe haven. If IOM does not have a forwarding address, it will return the EAD to USCIS. USCIS will then mail the EAD to the address it has on file for that individual. If USCIS does not have an address for the individual, it will hold the EAD for 60 days, waiting for the individual to provide USCIS with an updated address, which they should do by filing a Form AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address (AR-11) online. The individual will need the Form I-765 receipt number. If the individual is in doubt regarding whether USCIS has the correct address, we recommend submitting a change of address online.
Afghan nationals may report the non-receipt of their EADs by using USCIS’ Non-Delivery of Card page. In certain situations, USCIS may request the individual submit a new Form I-765. There is no fee to request a replacement EAD, in this circumstance.
More Information
The CIS Ombudsman appreciates USCIS’ actions to assist the OAW population to address EAD concerns. USCIS also indicated that it will meet with the Department of Homeland Security’s OAW Unified Coordination Group, resettlement agencies, state refugee coordinators, and military bases to discuss resources that support OAW Afghan parolees, such as the USCIS Contact Center, and answer questions.
Visit USCIS’ Information for Afghans page for more information for Afghan nationals in the United States.
The CIS Ombudsman is dedicated to assisting individuals and employers seeking to resolve problems with USCIS whenever possible. For more information on our office, please visit www.dhs.gov/cisombudsman or follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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