Lost Your EAD Card? What to Do and How to Replace It

If you lost your EAD card, file Form I-765 with USCIS to request a replacement as soon as possible, and hold onto the receipt notice you get back: under the I-9 receipt rule, that notice can keep you legally employed for up to 90 days while your new Employment Authorization Document is being produced. Every day you delay filing is a day shaved off that 90-day cushion, so speed matters more than almost anything else in this process.

Before You File, Search and Gather

Do two things before you start paperwork. First, actually look for the card. Check jacket pockets, filing cabinets, the glove compartment, and any folder where you keep immigration documents. A surprising number of “lost” EADs surface in a drawer someone already checked once.

If the card was stolen rather than misplaced, file a police report. USCIS does not strictly require one to process a replacement, but it strengthens your filing and creates a record if someone tries to use your identity later.

Second, pull together the immigration documents you still have: your I-797 approval notice, passport, visa, I-94 Arrival/Departure Record, and any copy or photo of the missing EAD (front and back). If you never saved a copy, take a few minutes now to photograph every other immigration document you own. You’ll need some of these as supporting evidence, and having them organized cuts the filing time significantly.

How the 90-Day Receipt Rule Keeps You Working

This is the most important thing to understand: losing your EAD does not automatically mean you have to stop working. Under the I-9 receipt rule, your employer must accept a receipt showing that you have applied to replace a lost, stolen, or damaged document. That receipt is valid for 90 days from the date it was issued for I-9 purposes.¹

In practice, the I-797C receipt notice USCIS sends after you file serves as temporary proof while your replacement card is being produced. Your employer records the receipt information on your Form I-9, and you then have 90 days to present the actual replacement EAD. If the replacement has not arrived within 90 days, you may present a different acceptable document from the I-9 Lists of Acceptable Documents; your employer completes a new Form I-9 with that alternative document and attaches it to the original.¹

Two limits are worth knowing. Your employer cannot accept a second receipt after the initial 90-day window closes, and the receipt rule does not apply at all if the job lasts fewer than three business days. The clock starts the moment USCIS issues your receipt, so file the replacement application quickly to maximize the overlap between your receipt window and USCIS processing time.

One more distinction. The automatic extension that used to bridge EAD holders while USCIS processed their paperwork never applied to replacement applications; it was for renewals only.² And as of October 30, 2025, DHS ended that automatic extension for most renewal applications filed on or after that date, with limited exceptions for certain Temporary Protected Status categories and renewals filed before the cutoff.³ The 90-day receipt rule is now one of the few bridges left.

Filing Form I-765 for the Replacement

The replacement application uses the same Form I-765 you filed for the original card. You can download it from the USCIS website, or, depending on your eligibility category, file it through a USCIS online account.⁴ On the form, select Item Number 1.b., which covers replacement of a lost, stolen, or damaged EAD, as well as corrections not caused by a USCIS error.⁵

Supporting Documents to Include

Two identical passport-style photographs that meet USCIS specifications.
A copy of your previous EAD, if you have one. A clear photo of both sides is fine.
A copy of your Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record), either the physical card or a printout of the electronic version.
A copy of your passport or travel document.
A copy of a government-issued identity document if you were never previously issued an EAD.

Include a brief letter explaining how the card was lost, stolen, or destroyed. If you filed a police report, attach a copy. USCIS accepts photocopies for this application, so you don’t need to send originals.⁶

Where to Send It

Some EAD categories allow online filing, but not all replacement categories are eligible. If you file on paper, the correct USCIS lockbox address depends on your eligibility category and state of residence. Check the USCIS filing addresses page for Form I-765 for your situation.⁷ Use USPS certified mail with return receipt so you have proof of delivery before your official USCIS receipt notice shows up.

Fees and How to Pay Them

A replacement EAD requires payment of the Form I-765 filing fee. Because recent legislation (H.R.-1, signed July 2025) created additional fees for certain immigration forms, the total you owe depends on your specific eligibility category. Check the current USCIS fee schedule before filing.⁸

A change that trips up a lot of applicants: USCIS no longer accepts personal checks, money orders, or cashier’s checks for paper filings unless you qualify for a specific exemption. Pay by credit, debit, or prepaid card using Form G-1450, or directly from a U.S. bank account using Form G-1650. Paper-based payment is only available to applicants who lack access to banking services or electronic payment systems.⁸

If you cannot afford the fee, you may request a fee waiver by submitting Form I-912 with your application, though eligibility varies by filing category. USCIS uses 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines to evaluate income-based waiver requests. For 2026, that threshold is $23,940 for a single-person household and $49,500 for a family of four in the 48 contiguous states.⁹ Some fees created by H.R.-1 cannot be waived for certain categories, though the separate DHS regulatory fee portion may still be.¹⁰

Asking USCIS to Speed Up Your Case

Standard replacement processing can take several months. If losing your work permit means losing your job, you can ask USCIS to expedite. Requests are evaluated case by case and need supporting documentation. USCIS considers:¹¹

Severe financial loss, such as imminent job loss. USCIS will not grant an expedite if the urgency resulted from your own failure to file on time.
Emergencies or urgent humanitarian situations, including serious illness, disability, a death in the family, or extreme living conditions such as a natural disaster.
Clear USCIS error, such as a card issued with incorrect information.
Government interests involving public safety, national interest, or national security.

Needing employment authorization by itself is not enough. You have to show compelling factors beyond the general inconvenience of waiting.¹¹ A letter from your employer confirming imminent termination, bank statements showing financial hardship, or medical documentation can strengthen the request.

After You File

USCIS will mail you a receipt notice (Form I-797C) confirming your application was received. This is the document your employer can accept under the 90-day receipt rule, so keep it somewhere safe and make copies.¹² You may also receive a separate notice scheduling a biometrics appointment at a local Application Support Center.

Track your case online using the receipt number on your I-797C. Processing times vary by office and eligibility category, so check the current estimate for your category on the USCIS processing times page. If your case has been pending beyond the posted timeframe, submit a case inquiry through the USCIS Contact Center. If the application was approved but the card never reached you, USCIS lets you submit an e-Request after roughly 60 days from approval.

If Your Card Doubles as a Travel Document

If you hold a combo card, meaning an EAD marked “serves as I-512 Advanced Parole,” losing it creates a travel problem on top of the employment one. Without the physical combo card, you may not be able to reenter the United States after international travel, and the I-797C receipt notice is not a valid travel document.

If you must travel before the replacement arrives, talk to an immigration attorney first. Depending on your status, you may be able to request Emergency Advance Parole through a USCIS field office appointment. Leaving the country without proper travel documentation while an adjustment of status application is pending can be treated as abandoning that application, and that is not a risk to run without professional guidance.

If Your Card Was Stolen, Protect Your Identity

An EAD carries your photograph, name, date of birth, USCIS number, and expiration date. That is enough for someone to attempt employment fraud or identity theft. If the card was stolen, take these steps beyond the police report:

Place a fraud alert. Contact any one of the three nationwide credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion) and request an initial fraud alert; that agency must notify the other two. An initial alert is free and lasts one year.
Consider a security freeze. A freeze blocks new-account access to your credit reports. You have to place it separately with each bureau and lift it temporarily whenever you apply for credit yourself.
Watch your Social Security earnings record for unfamiliar employment entries, which can signal someone is working under your information. You can check through your my Social Security account online.

If you find someone has already used your stolen EAD, report it at IdentityTheft.gov and contact the Social Security Administration’s fraud hotline at (800) 269-0271. An extended fraud alert, which lasts seven years and requires lenders to verify your identity before issuing credit, is available if you have a police report or FTC identity theft report.

Telling Your Employer

Tell your employer promptly. Waiting only makes it worse. Employers face real consequences for allowing work without proper I-9 documentation, and most respond far better to someone who arrives with a plan than to a situation that surfaces on its own.

Keep the conversation to three points: the card is lost or stolen, you are filing the replacement immediately, and you will hand over the I-797C receipt as soon as it arrives. Your employer documents the receipt on your Form I-9 by noting “Receipt” along with the document information.¹³ When the replacement card arrives, your employer crosses out the receipt notation and enters the new card’s information. If it hasn’t arrived within 90 days, you can present any other acceptable document from the I-9 lists.

Employers cannot fire you or refuse to let you work solely because you lost your EAD, as long as you present an acceptable receipt or alternative document within the allowed timeframe. An employer who insists you stop working despite a valid receipt may be engaged in unfair documentary practices under the anti-discrimination provisions of immigration law.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Handbook for Employers (M-274) – Acceptable Receipts
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Employment Authorization Document
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. DHS Ends Automatic Extension of Employment Authorization
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-765, Application for Employment Authorization
5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Checklist of Required Initial Evidence for Form I-765
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Filing Fees
9
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Poverty Guidelines
10
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-912, Request for Fee Waiver
11
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual – Expedite Requests
12
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797C, Notice of Action
13
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification