I never received my Employment Authorization Document, what can I do?

When you file a work authorization application with U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) you must provide your mailing address. It is very important to provide a secure address where you are confident you can receive mail, as this is the address where USCIS will send your Employment Authorization Document (EAD) after the application is approved.

After your EAD application is filed, USCIS will first issue a receipt notice with the receipt number. You can use this number to track the case status on the USCIS Case Status website. After the case is approved, USCIS will send an approval notice and the EAD. You will need the physical EAD as evidence of your authorization to work in the U.S.

If USCIS case status indicates that the card was mailed but you never received your EAD, the first thing you should do is check with the local Post Office. If the EAD is returned to USCIS as undeliverable, you can file an e-request using USCIS’s Self-Service Tools to alert USCIS that you did not receive your card and ask them to mail it to you.

Unfortunately, if USCIS mails the card and the Post Office lists it as delivered, they will not issue you a new card. At that point, your only option is to apply for a new EAD.

If you move after you apply for the EAD, it is very important to timely file Form AR-11 to notify USCIS of your change of address. This form can be filed online through USCIS’s website and should be filed within 10 days of any move within the United States. When you fill out the form, you should make sure to list the pending I-765 receipt number so that USCIS knows to mail the EAD to the new address.