Green Card and EAD Production Delays and How to Contact the Ombudsman’s Office for Assistance
In June 2020, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reduced its capacity to print secure documents, including Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) Cards, aka Green Cards, and Employment Authorization Documents (EAD). The printing delay came after USCIS ended a contract with an outside company responsible for printing these cards. According to USCIS, it intended to hire federal employees to replace the contractors, but its financial situation resulted in a hiring freeze that has impacted the printing of these secure cards.
Unfortunately, USCIS expects that backlogs for printing these important documents will continue into the foreseeable future. To make matters worse, should there be a furlough of USCIS employees on August 3, 2020, Green Card and EAD card production backlogs will likely increase even more.
The Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman is assisting individuals whose applications have been approved but whose cards have not yet been produced, by sending weekly spreadsheets to USCIS to verify card requests are in line to be processed. If you are experiencing a delay in receiving your Green Card or EAD card, you may submit a request for case assistance with the Ombudsman at https://www.dhs.gov/topic/cis-
Please note that LPRs may obtain proof of their status by requesting a stamp of temporary evidence in a valid passport. Please reach out to USCIS’ Contact Center (800-375-5283) to make an appointment at your local USCIS field office.
Krystal Alanis
713-457-5703