USCIS Redesigns Green Card

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on May 11, 2010, that it has redesigned the Permanent Resident Card, commonly known as the green card, to incorporate several major new security features. The card will be colored green.

The redesigned card includes optical media to store biometrics identification data; and holographic images, laser engraved fingerprints, and high-resolution micro-images intended to make the card “nearly impossible” to reproduce. Tighter integration of the card design with personalized elements is intended to make it difficult to alter the card if stolen. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) capability will allow Customs and Border Protection officers at ports of entry to read the card from a distance and compare it immediately to file data. A preprinted return address will enable the easy return of a lost card to USCIS.

USCIS said it will replace green cards already in circulation as individuals apply for renewal or replacement.

• USCIS’s announcement is available here.
• A fact sheet is available here.
• A Q&A is available here.
• A brief history of the green card, including how it became known as the “green card” and the various color and other changes throughout its history, is available here.