U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Stops Issuing Combo Cards for Employment Authorization/Travel to Address Backlog of Form I-765 Applications

Green card applicants with pending Form I-485 applications have become used to receiving a “combo” card for employment authorization (EAD) and travel (Advance Parole) while they wait for their I-485 application to be adjudicated. This policy has been in place since 2011. USCIS recently announced that it has stopped issuing combo cards due to the severe EAD application backlog. Instead, foreign nationals can expect to receive an EAD card that reads “Not Valid for Reentry to the U.S.” This EAD card cannot be used for international travel. The Advance Parole (AP) document permitting international travel will be sent to applicants separately. Since international travel advice can be specific to an individual applicant, we recommend that you contact your immigration attorney about any travel plans.