In 2011, the United States Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS) created a new type of Employment Authorization Document, or EAD, for green card holders.

This new EAD was called a "combo card", which served dual purposes: an authorization to work in the United States and an advance parole authorization for traveling outside the United States and returning without having to apply for a visa.

These combo cards looked very similar to a standard EAD, but had language at the bottom indicating that the card serves as I-512 advance parole. USCIS combined these processes to make it easier for green card holders – they need only one document for employment and for travel. Since many people would apply for employment authorization and advance parole at the same time, the combo card made sense.

However, there has been a growing backlog of I-765 applications, causing significant delays and increases in processing times. Because applications for employment authorization are usually coupled with I-131 application for travel documents, the combo card process was adding to the delay.

As a result, USCIS announced that, effective February 1, 2022, they would stop issuing combo cards, and return to issuing separate documents for employment authorization and for advance parole. This move is intended to help decrease the backlog of employment authorizations. By processing I-765 applications independent of the I-131, USCIS can more quickly issue EADs. Applications for travel are now processed separately, and approved applicants receive a separate advance parole document.

Because of this move, it is important for green card holders to be aware that EAD cards issued after February 1, 2022 are not valid for travel outside the United States. In order to travel abroad without a visa, green card holders must also have a separate advance parole document.

The positive side of this new change is that processing times for I-765 applications for employment authorization should come down significantly, and green card holders with pending applications should receive their decisions faster.