USCIS announced yesterday that it has revised Form I-766, the
Employment Authorization Document (EAD) to include the addition of a
machine-readable area on the back of the card. This update is part of
USCIS’s goal to limit cases of immigration fraud. The federal agency
began issuing the revised EAD cards on May 11. The new card is
compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization standards.
In addition to the new area on the back of the card, USCIS has also
removed the two-dimensional bar code on the backside of the EAD and has
moved the informational box of text to just beneath the card’s magnetic
strip. These changes to the card are part of an extensive collaborative
effort of various sections of the Department of Homeland Security,
including USCIS, Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement.