To replace a lost work permit card, you file a new Form I-765 with USCIS, mark reason 1.b (replacement of a lost, stolen, or damaged EAD), and pay the fee that applies to your immigration category.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Employment Authorization Document Losing the physical card does not cancel your work authorization. You still need the card, though, to prove eligibility to an employer, so filing quickly matters.
How to File Form I-765 for a Replacement
You submit the same Form I-765 used for an initial EAD, this time selecting reason code 1.b and attaching a written statement explaining how the card was lost. USCIS does not require a police report, but filing one creates a paper trail if someone later misuses the card.
Some categories can file online through a USCIS account, including F-1 students applying for Optional Practical Training, TPS holders, asylum applicants, and DACA recipients.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Forms Available to File Online If your category is not on that list, you mail a paper application to the address in the I-765 instructions for your eligibility category.
After USCIS accepts the application, you receive a receipt notice with a case number you can use to check status online. Processing times vary by service center and category, so check the USCIS processing times page after filing for a current estimate.
What to Send With the Application
A complete replacement packet includes several supporting documents in addition to the form:3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-765, Instructions for Application for Employment Authorization
- A copy of the front and back of your previous EAD, if you kept one. If you never made a copy, submit a copy of a government-issued photo ID instead, such as a passport, a birth certificate with photo ID, or a foreign visa.
- Two identical passport-style color photos taken recently, meeting USCIS specifications.
- Any USCIS notices confirming your prior EAD approval or underlying status.
- Your I-94 number and the expiration date of your authorized stay, if you were issued an Arrival/Departure Record.
- A short written statement explaining the loss.
Any identity document not in English needs a certified English translation. The translator must certify in writing that the translation is accurate and that they are competent to translate between the two languages, and must sign and date the certification with their printed name and address.
Fees and Fee Waivers
The filing fee depends on your immigration category. USCIS updated its fee schedule effective January 1, 2026, so check Form G-1055 for the current amount that applies to your category.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055, Fee Schedule Several groups pay no fee for a replacement, including refugees, T visa holders, U visa holders, certain abuse victims, and dependents of foreign government or international organization personnel.
If you cannot afford the fee, you can request a waiver by filing Form I-912 with your application. USCIS grants waivers based on three grounds: you or a household member currently receives a means-tested public benefit, your household income is at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or you are experiencing extreme financial hardship.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 4 – Fee Waivers and Fee Exemptions DACA recipients are not eligible for fee waivers on Form I-765.
Can You Keep Working While You Wait
Yes. Losing the card does not revoke your underlying work authorization, and if your existing EAD has not expired, your employer generally does not need to reverify you. Reverification is only required when employment authorization or the EAD actually expires, not when a still-valid document goes missing.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification
Even so, tell your employer about the loss so there are no surprises during an I-9 audit or reverification later.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification
Starting a New Job Before the Card Arrives
If you are being hired while the replacement is still in process, the receipt notice from your I-765 filing can stand in for the EAD on Form I-9 for up to 90 days from your first day of work.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Receipts Before those 90 days end, you have to show your employer the actual card.
If the card has not arrived by day 90, you are not stuck. You can present a different combination of acceptable documents, such as one List B document (identity) and one List C document (work authorization), in place of the EAD. Your employer cannot accept a second receipt to extend the window, so line up backup documents early.
Asking USCIS to Speed Things Up
Standard replacement processing can run months. USCIS will consider expediting on request, but approval is discretionary, and you need to fit one of its specific grounds:9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 5 – Expedite Requests
- Severe financial loss to a person or company. Job loss can qualify depending on the circumstances, but simply needing employment authorization is not enough on its own. You have to show concrete financial harm beyond ordinary inconvenience. A letter from your employer describing the impact of the delay helps.
- An emergency or urgent humanitarian situation, such as serious illness, disability, death of a family member, or extreme living conditions.
- A clear USCIS error on your original card.
You make the request by contacting the USCIS Contact Center after filing, and you should be ready to send supporting documentation. Premium processing, which guarantees a faster decision for an extra fee, is not a general option here; as of 2026 it is limited to F-1 students filing for OPT.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. How Do I Request Premium Processing Everyone else’s route to faster handling is the expedite request.
Do Not Travel Internationally on a Lost Combo Card
If your lost EAD was a combo card that also served as advance parole, you have lost both your work document and your travel document. There is no way to have a replacement EAD or combo card issued while you are outside the United States.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 3 – Reissuance of Secure Identity Documents
Leaving before your replacement advance parole is issued can lead USCIS to find you inadmissible on return or to treat your pending application as abandoned. If you are already abroad and lose the document, contact the nearest USCIS international office or a U.S. embassy or consulate. Unless you hold a separate valid travel document, such as a visa that allows independent re-entry, the safest choice is to postpone travel until the replacement arrives.
Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft
A lost EAD shows your photo, name, date of birth, and immigration category, which is enough for someone to attempt fraud in your name. The main risk is not a penalty against you but the cleanup if someone else uses the card.
- File a police report. USCIS does not require it, but the report timestamps when you noticed the loss and can protect you if the card is misused later.
- Place a fraud alert with one of the three major credit bureaus. That bureau must notify the other two.
- If you see signs of identity misuse, report it at IdentityTheft.gov, which provides a recovery plan and pre-filled letters and forms.12IdentityTheft.gov. What To Do if Your Information Was Lost or Stolen, or Part of a Data Breach
- Once the replacement arrives, scan or photocopy both sides and store the copy somewhere secure. It will make any future replacement application faster.
When to Bring in an Immigration Attorney
Most replacements are routine. Get professional help if your application is denied, if USCIS issues a request for evidence you are not sure how to answer, if someone has used your lost card fraudulently and you are drawn into an investigation, or if your underlying status is complicated and you are not certain you remain eligible for a new EAD.
Combo card holders should be particularly careful. The interplay between lost travel authorization and a pending application creates risks that are easy to misjudge, and a wrong call about traveling can leave you unable to return. An attorney can look at whether you have any other valid travel document or whether you simply need to wait for the replacement.