Lost or Stolen EAD Card: How Replacement Works on OPT, STEM OPT or H-4, and What to Tell Your Employer

Losing your EAD card does not cancel your work authorization, but it does change what you can show an employer and whether you can travel.

Part of our guide to the H-4 EAD.

If you have a lost EAD card, your work authorization usually still stands. It comes from USCIS approving your Form I-765; the plastic Form I-766 is only the evidence. Losing it does not cancel your OPT, STEM OPT extension or H-4 EAD. To replace it, you file a new I-765 as a replacement in the same category, with the fee. What the loss changes is what you can show an employer, whether you can travel, and what you file next.

Status as of October 14, 2026:

• In effect: the replacement process itself is unchanged.
• In effect (today): DHS's final rule ending automatic EAD extensions published and took effect on 2026-10-14. It covers renewal EADs filed on or after 2025-10-30, including H-4. It does not rescind the H-4 EAD.
• In effect: OPT unemployment limits are unchanged at 90 days on post-completion OPT and 150 days in aggregate with the 24-month STEM extension (ICE broadcast 2101-01).
• Proposed only: the OPT fee NPRM ($70,000 initial / $30,000 subsequent, comments close 2026-11-09) is not law. The current I-765 fee is unchanged.

First 48 hours: lost EAD card, what to do

Do these in order.

1. Confirm it is really lost, not undelivered. A newly approved card that never arrived is a delivery problem. Check your USCIS case status for mailing updates and see our action plan for a delayed or missing OPT EAD card before you pay for a replacement.
2. File a police report if it was stolen. The card shows your photo, date of birth and A-number, so a report number helps if your identity is misused.
3. Find your copies: a photo or scan of the card, your I-797 approval notice, your receipt number and your A-number.
4. Tell your employer in writing (script below).
5. On F-1 OPT or STEM OPT, email your DSO. Ask whether your school wants documents for a replacement filing.
6. Check your address with USCIS. The replacement goes to the address on file. Our guide to changing your address with USCIS and SEVIS while a case is pending covers both systems.
7. Hold off on travel until you have talked it through (see below).

How to replace an employment authorization card

To replace an employment authorization card, you file a new Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, choose the replacement reason (lost, stolen or damaged card) and use the same eligibility category as the lost card. You are asking USCIS to reissue proof of permission it already granted.

Your category code

The code is printed under "Category" on the card and on your I-797 approval notice. For what each field means, see what an EAD card (Form I-766) is.

What the filing usually includes

The USCIS Form I-765 page and its instructions are the source of truth. A replacement filing typically includes:

• The completed I-765, marked as a replacement, in your original category
• The filing fee, unless the card was wrong because of a USCIS error
• A copy of the lost card if you have one, or another government-issued photo ID
• Passport-style photos, as the instructions specify
• For F-1 students, whatever your school asks for. Many schools tell students to include a copy of their OPT-endorsed Form I-20, so ask your DSO.
• For H-4, evidence of your current H-4 status as the instructions require

Form edition and fee, as of October 2026

An outdated edition is an easy way to get rejected, so download the form on the day you file.

What a replacement does not do

A replacement has the same validity dates as the lost card. It does not extend OPT, restart STEM OPT or add time to an H-4 EAD. If your card expires soon, that is a renewal (H-4) or STEM OPT question, and a more pressing one after the rule change below.

What changed on October 14, 2026: automatic extensions

Our explainer on DHS ending automatic EAD extensions covers who is affected. How any STEM OPT-specific provision applies to you is a DSO question.

Can I work if I lost my EAD card? The Form I-9 answer

The answer depends on whether you are already working or starting a new job.

You are already employed

Your employer completed Form I-9 when you started and recorded your EAD's expiration date. Employers reverify when that authorization expires, not when an employee loses a card. In the usual case there is no new I-9 and no new document to collect until your reverification date. The rules are on USCIS I-9 Central.

When your reverification date comes, you will need evidence of current work authorization. A replacement of your expiring card won't satisfy that, because it expires on the same day. Our guide to Form I-9 documents and reverification on OPT covers what HR looks for at that point.

You are starting a new job

Form I-9 has a specific receipt rule for lost, stolen or damaged documents. Under USCIS's I-9 receipt guidance, an employer may accept a receipt for the application to replace the document in place of the card itself. The receipt is valid for 90 days from the date of hire, and you must show the actual replacement card by the end of that period. A receipt for an initial or renewal EAD application is a different thing and is not on USCIS's list of acceptable receipts.

Two practical points:

• A receipt notice is what counts. A photocopy or photo of the lost card is not an acceptable I-9 document, so the timing of your replacement filing matters if you have a start date coming up.
• Most OPT and H-4 workers have no easy substitute. A Social Security card marked "valid for work only with DHS authorization" is not an acceptable List C document. For most people in these categories, the EAD or a receipt for its replacement is the document.

If HR is unsure, point them to the receipt rule in the M-274 Handbook for Employers rather than arguing it yourself.

The OPT unemployment clock

The limits are unchanged: 90 days of unemployment on post-completion OPT, and 150 days in aggregate once you add the 24-month STEM extension (ICE broadcast 2101-01).

The clock tracks days without qualifying employment, not days without a card. If you keep working while the replacement is pending, you are employed. The harder case is when an employer pauses or delays your start because of a document problem. Tell your DSO the date, what your employer did and your current SEVIS employment status, and get their answer in writing. Your DSO is the right first call for anything that touches your SEVIS record or OPT clock.

Travel without your EAD card

Do not book international travel around a lost card until you have talked it through.

• Post-completion OPT and STEM OPT: re-entering the US on OPT after graduation generally requires your EAD card along with your passport, visa, travel-signed I-20 and evidence of employment. Without the card, re-entry is in question. Travelling while an OPT or STEM OPT I-765 is pending is a recognized risk, and a replacement request is an I-765. Talk to your DSO before you book anything.
• H-4: your H-4 status and re-entry rest on your H-4 visa and your spouse's H-1B documents, not on the EAD. But you still need a valid card, or the I-9 receipt route, to work when you get back. If you need a new visa stamp, interview waivers ("dropbox") are no longer available for H-4 or F-1, and the live travel.state.gov wait times beat anyone's estimate.

If you lose the card while abroad, contact your DSO (F-1) or a licensed immigration attorney (H-4) before you head for the airport.

What to tell your employer (a script)

Keep it short, factual and in writing:

"I'm letting you know that my Employment Authorization Document was [lost / stolen] on [date]. My work authorization itself is unchanged and valid through [end date on the card]. I [have filed / am filing] Form I-765 for a replacement and will send you the receipt notice as soon as I have it. Please let me know if anything is needed for my Form I-9."

Leave out speculation about your visa or the clock. If HR raises a question you can't answer, say you will check with your DSO (OPT) or a licensed immigration attorney (H-4) and follow up.

Common mistakes

• Paying for a replacement when the card was never delivered. A card that never arrived is a delivery problem. Check your case status and mailing history first.
• Filing in the wrong category or as a renewal. Use your original category and the replacement reason. A renewal and a replacement do different things.
• Using the wrong form edition. USCIS does not accept the 09/15/26 I-765 edition right now. Download the form on the day you file.
• Showing HR a photocopy as your I-9 document. A copy is useful for your own records but is not an acceptable I-9 document.
• Forgetting the address. A replacement mailed to your old apartment is a second lost card.

Frequently asked questions

Can I work if I lost my EAD card?

Usually yes, because your authorization comes from USCIS approving your I-765, not from the card. An existing employee with a completed Form I-9 generally has nothing new to show until reverification. A new hire can show a receipt for a replacement application, then the replacement card within 90 days.

How do I replace a lost employment authorization card?

Replacement works through a new Form I-765 marked as a replacement for a lost, stolen or damaged card, in the original category such as (c)(3)(B), (c)(3)(C) or (c)(26). A fee generally applies unless USCIS caused the problem. Check the amount on Form G-1055 and the accepted edition on the I-765 page.

Does a replacement EAD extend my OPT or H-4 work authorization?

No. A replacement carries the same validity dates as the lost card. If your card expires soon, that is a renewal or STEM OPT question instead.

Do days without my card count against my OPT unemployment limit?

The limits are 90 days on post-completion OPT and 150 days in aggregate with the STEM extension. The clock tracks days without qualifying employment, not days without a card. If an employer pauses your work over a document problem, ask your DSO right away how those days are treated.

What should I tell my employer about a lost EAD card?

Tell HR promptly and in writing that the card was lost or stolen, that your work authorization is unchanged, and that you are filing a replacement I-765. Share the receipt notice and ask what, if anything, Form I-9 requires.

This article explains how the process works. It isn't legal advice. Your own I-797, I-20 and I-94 govern over anything published here. For F-1, OPT and SEVIS questions, start with your DSO. For H-4 questions or anything consequential, speak with a licensed immigration attorney.

A lost card is a paperwork problem. A job search running against a visa clock is harder, and if you want help with that part, F1Jobs is happy to talk.