The Green Card Gets a Makeover
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has developed a new, more secure design for the “ Green Card” that began production on May 11, 2010. The state-of-the-art security features incorporated in the new card include laser engraving, color-changing holograms, high resolution pictures and biometric data to prevent counterfeiting, obstruct tampering and facilitate quick and accurate authentication of the card. In addition to the security features added to the card, the card is once again green – living up to its long-time nickname! You can view a sample of the new card at www.uscis.gov.
Employers should become familiar with the new design and keep this in mind as employees present documents for I-9 employment eligibility verification purposes. Remember, prior versions of the card remain valid as long as they are unexpired. Employers must accept any document or combination of documents presented by the employee that are listed on Form I-9 and that reasonably appear on their face to be genuine and to relate to the person presenting them. For more information regarding I-9 completion, see our prior articles.