Correcting a Mistake on a Green Card or Work Permit

If your green card, Employment Authorization Document (EAD), naturalization certificate, or other USCIS-issued document has wrong information, the first question is who caused the error. If USCIS made the mistake — a data-entry typo, a name or date that doesn't match your approved case record — USCIS corrects it at no additional cost. If you caused the error, for example by submitting incorrect information on your own application, you typically must file a new request and pay the applicable fee, along with proof of the correct information. Either way, don't ignore a wrong name, date of birth, or date on an immigration document: it can cause real problems later with employment, travel, benefits, and future immigration filings.

Step one: figure out who caused the error

Compare the document with the error against two things:

• Your approval notice (Form I-797) or the underlying case record USCIS used to produce the document.
• What you actually submitted — your passport, birth certificate, prior immigration documents, or the application itself.

If the card or certificate doesn't match your approval notice or your correctly submitted documents, that's a USCIS error, and USCIS will fix it for free. If the card matches what you filed, but what you filed had a mistake in it — you misspelled your own name, transposed digits in your date of birth, or otherwise gave USCIS the wrong information — that's an applicant error, and correcting it generally requires a new filing and fee, plus evidence proving the correct facts.

Which form for which document

Green card (Permanent Resident Card)

Use Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card. On the form, select the reason that matches your situation — there is a specific reason for a card issued with incorrect data due to Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/USCIS error. If USCIS caused the error, there is no filing fee; you'll need to send in the original card (not a copy) along with proof of your correct biographic information. USCIS also directs people to report a card mistake caused by USCIS through its e-Request self-service tool, which can start a fee-free correction. If the error instead traces back to information you provided, you still file Form I-90, but the standard fee applies. Check the current fee amount on the I-90 page at uscis.gov/i-90, since USCIS fees change.

Employment Authorization Document (EAD)

For an EAD with wrong information caused by USCIS — a misspelled name, wrong date of birth, or similar clerical error — you generally do not need to file a brand-new Form I-765 or pay a fee. USCIS offers two paths: an online service request (look for the option covering a card error caused by USCIS, such as “EAD Replacement due to USCIS Error”) through the e-Request self-service tool, or a mail-in request with a letter explaining the error and supporting evidence, sending the flawed card back through the U.S. Postal Service to the return address USCIS specifies for EAD replacement cards. The mail-in path is generally used when you need to submit evidence to show the error (for example, when it concerns the card's validity dates). If the error instead reflects wrong information you provided on your I-765, you'll typically need to file a corrected Form I-765 with the applicable fee. Start at the official EAD page, uscis.gov's Employment Authorization Document page, and the self-service correction tool at egov.uscis.gov/e-request.

Naturalization or citizenship certificate

Use Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document. If the error is USCIS's typographical or clerical mistake, no fee applies, but you still must attach the original incorrect certificate and complete the section of the form addressing agency error, along with evidence of what the correct information should be. If the mistake came from your own application, the standard N-565 fee applies. See uscis.gov/n-565 for the current form, instructions, and fee.

Form I-94 arrival/departure record

The I-94 is issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), not USCIS, so a different process applies. Errors in your I-94 — wrong name, wrong admission class, wrong date — are generally corrected through a CBP Deferred Inspection Site or CBP's traveler contact channels, not through a USCIS form. See cbp.gov's Deferred Inspection Sites listing and i94.cbp.gov for your current record.

What to do — step by step

1. Pull your paperwork together. Gather the flawed document, your approval notice, and identity documents showing the correct name, date of birth, or other facts (unexpired passport, birth certificate, or a certified court order if you've had a legal name change).
2. Compare it to your case record. Decide, based on the comparison above, whether this looks like USCIS's error or your own.
3. Choose the right form or tool. I-90 for a green card, the EAD correction process (e-Request or mail-in) for an EAD, N-565 for a naturalization or citizenship certificate, or CBP's deferred inspection process for an I-94.
4. Select the correct reason on the form. Filing under the wrong reason code can trigger an unnecessary fee or delay.
5. Send the original flawed document when required — USCIS generally will not process a correction request without it, and photocopies are not accepted.
6. Keep copies of everything you send, along with tracking/delivery confirmation if you mail anything.
7. Track your case through your USCIS online account or the case-status tool, and follow up through the e-Request system if you don't hear back in a reasonable time.

Why an uncorrected mistake causes problems later

A small typo can cascade into much bigger headaches:

• Employment verification (Form I-9 / E-Verify): a name or date mismatch between your document and Social Security or government records can trigger a mismatch or tentative nonconfirmation, jeopardizing a job.
• Travel: a name that doesn't match your passport can cause delays or extra scrutiny re-entering the United States.
• Future immigration filings: naturalization applications, green card renewals, and petitions for family members all rely on your record being internally consistent; a lingering discrepancy can require extra evidence or explanation later, when it may be harder to document.
• State ID and licensing: DMVs and other agencies that check immigration documents against their own databases may reject an application if the name or date doesn't match.
• Benefits and tax records: Social Security and payroll records tied to your name and date of birth can become inconsistent, complicating wage records and future benefits.

The earlier you fix it, the fewer downstream documents will need to be reconciled to it.

Timing to keep in mind

There's no single statutory deadline for requesting a correction the way there is for, say, a one-year asylum filing window. But timing still matters in practical ways:

• If your card or work permit's validity dates are wrong, don't wait — an incorrect expiration date can affect your ability to prove current work authorization to an employer or to CBP.
• If you're already close to a renewal (for example, your green card or EAD is expiring soon anyway), ask USCIS or an accredited representative whether it makes more sense to request a correction now or to address it as part of the renewal filing, since a separate correction request and a renewal request can otherwise cross paths.
• If the error will affect an upcoming interview, travel, or a pending petition, flag it to USCIS or your representative immediately rather than waiting.

If the mistake was yours

If you provided the wrong name, date of birth, or other biographic detail on your original application, correcting the resulting document generally means filing again — a new I-90, a new N-565, or a corrected I-765 — with the applicable fee, plus documentary proof of the correct facts (an unexpired passport, a birth certificate, or, for a legal name change, a certified court order). Check the current fee for your form on its official USCIS page rather than relying on an older figure, since USCIS fees change.

Beware of notario and immigration-service fraud

People who call themselves "notarios," unlicensed "immigration consultants," or document-preparation services that are not run by a licensed attorney or a Department of Justice–accredited representative are not authorized to give you legal advice, and mistakes they make filling out USCIS forms can create exactly the kind of errors described here — or worse, jeopardize your immigration status. If you need help correcting a document, especially where the underlying case record is unclear or a name-change or citizenship document is involved, consult a licensed immigration attorney or a representative accredited by the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Access Programs, or contact USCIS directly.

This article is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. For your specific situation, confirm current forms, fees, and procedures at uscis.gov, and consider consulting a qualified immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative.