Lost, damaged or wrong immigration documents

USCIS calls these secure identity documents: they prove identity, status, work or travel permission. They show your full name, date and country of birth, sex and A-Number.

• Which documents count as secure

  Any status

  USCIS counts the I-94 arrival/departure record, the EAD (form I-766), naturalization and citizenship certificates, the green card (form I-551) and travel documents. Documents from other agencies, such as a US passport, Social Security card or driver's license, are replaced by those agencies.

  uscis.gov

• Why you carry the document

  Any status

  Adults 18 and over must always carry their EAD, green card or other proof of registration, so replace a lost one right away.

  uscis.gov

Usually you need a new form and a fee. If USCIS made the mistake or the document didn't arrive because of USCIS or the mail, there is usually no fee.

• The USCIS fee table (G-1055)

  Any status

  The official USCIS table of fees for all forms. Edition of October 26, 2026.

  uscis.gov

1. Work out what happened

   Was the card lost, stolen or damaged? Is there a USCIS error, or did your details change? Did it never arrive? The form and fee depend on the answer.

2. Tell a replacement from a renewal

   Replacement is for a lost, damaged or wrong card; renewal is a separate application. Since October 30, 2025 USCIS no longer extends an EAD automatically while a renewal is pending, with exceptions such as some TPS holders. Ask a lawyer when to file and whether you can work while you wait.

3. Check your address with USCIS

   If the card never came, make sure USCIS has your current address. Change it in your USCIS online account or with form AR-11. USCIS usually resends a returned document.

4. Gather your papers

   You need a new form I-765, category 1.b. To fix a mistake, include the wrong card, an explanation and papers showing the correct details. For a name change, include the old card, an explanation and the name change document: court order, marriage or divorce certificate.

5. Decide how to pay

   A replacement costs $520 on paper or $470 online. If you can't pay, ask a lawyer about a waiver with form I-912: the I-765 is on the list of eligible forms. USCIS does not take cash.

6. File the application

   Online if you qualify, or on paper. The paper I-765 address changed on October 7, 2026: see Where to File on the form's page the day you mail it. Applications to the old address postmarked by November 9, 2026 are still accepted. Use the 08/21/25 edition: the 09/15/26 edition is not accepted in November 2026 because of a court ruling of September 14, 2026.

7. Keep copies and tracking information

   Copy everything you send and keep the tracking number: it shows the card reached USCIS.

8. Wait for the new card

   USCIS makes the card about 2 weeks after approval and sends it by Priority Mail. If it doesn't come, wait 30 days, then send an inquiry.

9. Ask a lawyer about work

   Whether you can keep working while you wait depends on your case: ask an immigration lawyer.

• Form I-765 and EAD replacement

  With a work permit (EAD)Paid

  The I-765 page on the USCIS website: filing online, mailing addresses for paper filing and timing.

  uscis.gov

• Fixing a USCIS error on an EAD

  With a work permit (EAD)Free

  If the mistake is obvious (a typo, for example), send a request on the USCIS website under “EAD Replacement due to USCIS Error”, describe it and return the card to: USCIS, Lee's Summit Production Facility, Attn: I-765 Replacement Cards, 7 Product Way, Lee's Summit, MO 64002. If proof is needed (a wrong validity date, for example), send the card there with a letter and papers. If USCIS decides the mistake isn't theirs, file I-765 category 1.b with the fee.

  uscis.gov

• Replacing a green card: Form I-90

  Green cardPaid

  Online (through a USCIS account) or on paper: by USPS to USCIS, Attn: I-90, P.O. Box 21262, Phoenix, AZ 85036-1262; by FedEx, UPS or DHL to USCIS, Attn: I-90 (Box 21262), 2108 E. Elliot Rd., Tempe, AZ 85284-1806. $465 on paper, $415 online; no fee if the card came back to USCIS undelivered or has a DHS error. Sign the form, or it will be rejected.

  uscis.gov

• If your green card never arrived

  Green card

  File I-90 under category 2.b or 3.b (“card issued but not received”) with your ID and a copy of the latest I-797 notice. There is a fee only if it didn't arrive because of you.

  uscis.gov

• An I-94 from CBP

  Any status

  Get a copy of a CBP I-94 on the CBP website (“Get Most Recent I-94”) or at the nearest port of entry. If you entered through an airport or seaport, you can get a paper I-94 on the CBP website. Wrong details are fixed at a port of entry or a deferred inspection office.

  i94.cbp.dhs.gov

• An I-94 from an asylum office

  Asylum applicantsGranted asylum

  If an asylum office issued the I-94, ask the office for your address for a corrected one.

  uscis.gov

• An I-94 issued by USCIS: Form I-102

  Any statusPaid

  File form I-102 with a copy of a document showing your name and date of birth; if the document never arrived, add proof of entry. $560 plus $24 under H.R. 1; the $24 is not charged for replacing lost I-94W and I-95, and there is no fee for a USCIS error.

  uscis.gov

• A travel document: Form I-131

  Any status

  To replace advance parole, a reentry permit or a refugee travel document, file form I-131 and choose the replacement category in Part 4. The fee is in the G-1055 table.

  uscis.gov

• A fee waiver with Form I-912

  Any statusFee can be waived

  Form I-912 (Request for Fee Waiver) asks USCIS to waive the fee if you can't pay. I-90 and I-765 are on the list of eligible forms; ask a lawyer whether EAD replacement qualifies. The I-912 goes with the application itself: not separately and not later. It can waive the base fee, but not H.R. 1 fees.

  uscis.gov

• Additional fees under H.R. 1

  Any status

  H.R. 1 (Public Law 119-21) added fees to some forms that cannot be waived; they are paid as a separate payment with the base fee, even if the base fee was waived. For example, the $24 on form I-102. Under the G-1055 table, the first (c)(8) EAD for asylum applicants carries a $570 fee under this law. Ask a lawyer whether such a fee applies to EAD replacement.

  uscis.gov

• How to pay USCIS

  Any status

  When filing by mail, pay by credit, debit or prepaid card (form G-1450) or by transfer from a US bank account (form G-1650). USCIS takes no cash anywhere. If you can't pay electronically, use form G-1651.

  uscis.gov

• Social Security card

  Any status

  The Social Security Administration (SSA), not USCIS, replaces Social Security cards. It is free.

  ssa.gov

• New York State license and ID

  Any statusLow cost

  The New York State DMV replaces licenses and non-driver IDs: a replacement license or learner permit costs $17.50.

  dmv.ny.gov

• USCIS rejected your application

  Any status

  USCIS rejects an application with the wrong fee, the wrong edition, no signature or missing required details. For I-765 in November 2026 you need the 08/21/25 edition (the 09/15/26 edition is not accepted under a court ruling of September 14, 2026). Check the fee in the G-1055 fee schedule and the form's edition (the edition date is at the bottom of every page of the form), then file again.

  uscis.gov

• Free legal help

  Any status

  QARAVAN does not give legal advice, but can point you to free legal organizations in New York.