Several of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' (USCIS) documents and certificates have recently undergone design changes intended to help prevent fraud and tampering. Although the look of these immigration documents has changed, the application process and how applicants receive them has not changed.

The USCIS launched an enhanced Employment Authorization Document (EAD) on October 25, 2011, and a redesigned Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-560) on October 30, 2011. According to a USCIS press release, the changes incorporate technological improvements designed to strengthen security by reducing counterfeiting and tampering, and by facilitating fast and accurate authentication of the documents.

If you are using either of these documents, an experienced immigration attorney can answer your questions about the changes.

Changes Help Prevent Immigration Fraud

The new forms and certificates will help employers, workers and law enforcement officials better recognize the documents as trustworthy evidence of one's authorization to work in the U.S. The USCIS worked with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Forensic Document Laboratory to add technological and tactile features, as well as a new printing process that makes the documents more resistant to tampering and easier to authenticate.

Importantly, the changes to the EAD and the Certificate of Citizenship do not affect the application and distribution process. New EADs will be distributed when workers apply for renewal or replacement cards, and current EADs will remain valid until the expiration date found on the card. Only new Certificates of Citizenship will contain the changes, and Certificates already distributed will remain valid.

These changes follow improvements made to other immigration documents, such as the Permanent Resident Card that was updated in 2010 and the Certificate of Naturalization Form that now contains individuals' photographs and signatures in the documents.

People wishing to work in the U.S. as well as American employers seeking to hire workers with foreign citizenship should contact a knowledgeable immigration attorney for information on these and other immigration-related documents.

Source: USCIS, "USCIS Redesigns Employment Authorization Document and Certificate of Citizenship to Enhance Security and Combat Fraud," Oct. 25, 2011.