Correcting a USCIS typographical error starts with one question: did USCIS put the wrong information on your document, or did the mistake come from your original application? If USCIS caused it, you file for a replacement at no cost. If the error matches what you wrote on your form, you refile and pay the standard fee. The form you use depends on which document is wrong, whether that’s a Green Card, an Employment Authorization Document, a travel document, or a Certificate of Naturalization.
Figure Out Who Made the Mistake
Pull your original application and compare it, line by line, to the incorrect document. If your form had the right information but the card or notice came back wrong, USCIS is at fault and there is no filing fee. If the document matches an error you made on your form, the error is yours and you pay to refile.
If you filed years ago and no longer have a copy of your application, you can request your immigration record through a Freedom of Information Act request. Form G-639 works, but the online USCIS FOIA portal at uscis.gov/foia is faster, since paper requests come back on CD-ROM and take longer to arrive. Getting your original filing before you start can keep you from paying a fee you don’t actually owe.
Gather Your Supporting Documents
USCIS officers verify biographical details from primary identity documents. The strongest evidence is a certified copy of your birth certificate, your current or expired passport, civil marriage or divorce records, and government-issued identity documents from your country of origin.
Add secondary evidence showing a consistent history of the correct information: prior USCIS approval notices, earlier immigration cards, and previously issued travel documents. A run of consistent records helps show that the error on your current document is an anomaly.
Any document in a language other than English needs a certified English translation. The translator signs a statement that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate from the foreign language into English, and includes their name, address, and the date. Notarization is not required.
When the Error Is USCIS’s Fault
The filing fee is waived in every category below. In each case, you return the original incorrect document — a photocopy will not do — along with evidence of the correct information.
Green Card
File Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card. In the reason-for-application section, select Item 2.d. or 3.d., which indicates that your existing card has incorrect data because of Department of Homeland Security error. Attach the original card and supporting documents such as your passport or birth certificate.
Employment Authorization Document
You have two options for an EAD with a USCIS-caused error. The faster route is a Typographic Error service request through the USCIS e-Request portal at egov.uscis.gov/e-request/typo. You’ll need your receipt number, your A-number if you have one, the specific item that is wrong, your filing date, and your email address. The alternative is a letter explaining the error, sent with your incorrect EAD and supporting evidence to USCIS, Lee’s Summit Production Facility, Attn: I-765 Replacement Cards, 7 Product Way, Lee’s Summit, MO 64002.
Travel Document
For a Reentry Permit or other travel document, file Form I-131 and select the option in Part 4, Item 5 stating that you received your document but it has incorrect information because of an error not caused by you. Return the incorrect document with a written statement describing the error and your supporting evidence.
Naturalization or Citizenship Certificate
File Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document. In Part 5, explain the typographical or clerical error USCIS made, and attach the original incorrect certificate. One limit matters here: USCIS will not change a date of birth or name on a Certificate of Naturalization if you provided the wrong information on your Form N-400 and then swore to it at your naturalization interview. That situation is treated as an applicant-caused error, even though the wrong data ended up on an official certificate.
When the Error Came From Your Application
If the document reflects a mistake you made on your original form, you refile and pay the standard filing fee. Include a short letter explaining what went wrong on the original application and why the new information is correct. A couple of clear sentences are enough.
Green Card
File Form I-90 and select Item 2.e. or 3.e., which covers cards with incorrect data not caused by DHS. Filing online is $50 less than filing on paper. Check the current fee schedule at uscis.gov/g-1055 before you file, since amounts are adjusted periodically. Return your incorrect card and include documents proving the correct information.
Employment Authorization Document
Submit a new Form I-765 and check filing category 1.b. Pay the full filing fee, return the EAD that contains the error, include a statement explaining the original mistake, and attach documentation showing the correct data.
Travel Document
File a new Form I-131 and select the option in Part 4, Item 5 indicating that the document has incorrect information because of an error you caused or because your information has changed. Pay the standard I-131 fee and return the incorrect document with your evidence.
Proving Your Status While You Wait
Sending your Green Card back to USCIS means you’ll be without a physical card for weeks or months. Lawful permanent residents age 18 and older are legally required to carry proof of status at all times, so this gap matters.
If your card is with USCIS and you need proof of status urgently, or your Form I-90 receipt notice has expired, call the USCIS Contact Center and ask for an ADIT stamp (also called an I-551 stamp). An officer will verify your identity and mailing address and either schedule an in-person appointment at a local field office or arrange to have the stamp mailed to you. A mailed ADIT comes on a Form I-94 with a DHS seal and your photo from USCIS records, and is valid for up to one year depending on your situation. You’ll need to appear in person if your need is urgent, if USCIS doesn’t have a usable photo on file, or if your identity or address can’t be confirmed remotely.
Keep a photocopy of your incorrect card together with your I-90 or I-765 receipt notice as backup. The receipt notice itself is evidence that a replacement is pending, which usually resolves employer questions during I-9 verification.
If USCIS Doesn’t Fix It
Most typographic corrections go through without trouble, but requests sometimes stall or get denied unexpectedly. If you’ve contacted USCIS and given them at least 60 days to resolve the issue without success, you can escalate to the CIS Ombudsman by submitting DHS Form 7001, Request for Case Assistance, online. Include an explanation of the error, documentation of your attempts to resolve it through USCIS, and your supporting evidence. The Ombudsman can bring your case to USCIS’s attention and recommend solutions, but cannot directly approve or deny an application.
A case assistance request doesn’t pause or extend any USCIS deadline, and it doesn’t substitute for a formal appeal or motion if your underlying application was denied. It’s a separate channel for cases that have stalled or been mishandled.