My Social Security Card and EAD Were Lost or Stolen: What Should I Do?

A lost Social Security card and EAD do not automatically cancel your Social Security number, immigration status or underlying employment authorization. However, losing both documents creates practical risks. Someone may try to use your identity, open credit, file a fraudulent tax return or present your information for employment. You may also need replacement evidence for Form I-9.

The immediate plan has three parts: protect your identity, request a free replacement Social Security card from the Social Security Administration, and file the appropriate Employment Authorization Document replacement request with USCIS. Each agency has a separate process, so replacing one card does not replace the other.

What to Do in the First 24 Hours

1. Write down when and where you last saw the cards. Check whether a passport, driver’s license, bank card or immigration notice is also missing.

2. If theft is likely, report it to local police and keep the report number. A police report is not a universal requirement for every SSA or USCIS replacement, but it can document the event and later misuse.

3. Review bank and credit-card accounts and report unauthorized transactions immediately.

4. Consider a fraud alert or credit freeze with the three credit bureaus. If someone used your information, create a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov.

5. Start the SSA and USCIS replacement processes separately. Preserve every receipt and confirmation.

Document	What loss does not do	Immediate response
Social Security card	Your SSN usually remains the same	Free SSA replacement and identity protection
EAD work permit	Loss alone does not end the underlying authorization	File the correct Form I-765 replacement request
Both cards	Your immigration case is not automatically denied	Review identity-theft and Form I-9 consequences

How to Replace a Lost or Stolen Social Security Card

The SSA provides replacement Social Security cards at no charge. If you know your number, you may not need the physical card for most routine transactions. When you do need a replacement, begin with the SSA online questionnaire. Depending on your circumstances, the agency may complete the request online or direct you to schedule an appointment at a local office.

SSA offices do not print replacement cards on the same day. The current SSA page states that a card generally arrives by mail 5 to 10 business days after the agency completes the request. If an office visit is required, documents generally must be original or certified by the issuing agency and unexpired. A noncitizen may also need evidence of current work-authorized immigration status.

Will My Social Security Number Change?

Usually not. A replacement card normally carries the same SSN. The SSA considers a new number only in rare situations. Identity theft does not automatically produce a new SSN; the person generally must first report the misuse and show continuing serious problems despite efforts to correct them.

How to Reduce Identity-Theft Risk

Create or review your my Social Security account and check your earnings record for unfamiliar employment.
Use IdentityTheft.gov to obtain an FTC report and a recovery plan tailored to the misuse.
Monitor credit reports and consider a free fraud alert or credit freeze.
Consider an IRS Identity Protection PIN, which helps prevent a thief from filing a federal tax return under your SSN.
If you suspect employment-related misuse, review your SSA earnings history and consider the myE-Verify Self Lock feature.

A missing card does not prove that identity theft occurred. Still, risk is higher when the thief has your SSN, date of birth, photograph and A-Number together. Basic monitoring can therefore be appropriate before suspicious activity appears.

How to Replace a Lost or Stolen EAD

When a valid Employment Authorization Document is lost, stolen or damaged, USCIS generally requires a new Form I-765 marked as a replacement request. A replacement is not a renewal. It requests another physical card for the existing authorization and does not extend the expiration date.

The filing should match the applicant’s eligibility category and current circumstances. Keep a secure copy of the prior card, the I-765 approval notice, receipt number and USCIS account record whenever available. A lost or stolen card replacement generally requires the current filing fee, although a separate fee exemption or fee-waiver rule may apply to some applicants. Form editions, fees, filing addresses and online-filing eligibility can change, so verify every item on the USCIS Form I-765 page on the filing date.

For background on the document and common categories, read Clinch Law Firm’s EAD guide. Before filing, also review the firm’s article on current USCIS form editions and confirm the final requirements on the official USCIS page.

What If USCIS Mailed the Card but It Never Arrived?

A card that never arrived is different from a card that was delivered and later lost. Check the tracking number in your USCIS account, the USPS delivery record and the address USCIS had on file. If the card appears not to have been delivered, use the USCIS Non-Delivery of Card e-Request process or follow Contact Center instructions before paying for another filing. Confirming whether the card was delivered, returned or misdirected can prevent unnecessary cost and delay.

Can I Keep Working While the Replacement Is Pending?

Losing the physical EAD does not, by itself, terminate valid employment authorization. The practical answer depends on the card’s expiration date, the legal basis for work authorization, whether the employer already completed Form I-9, and whether a new hire or reverification event is occurring.

If an existing employee previously completed Form I-9 with valid documents, later loss of the card does not itself create routine early reverification. A new employee or a worker reaching a required reverification date may need acceptable evidence. The employee may choose a valid List A document or a List B and List C combination. An employer generally may not demand one specific document.

Under the USCIS receipt rule, an agency receipt showing that the worker applied to replace a lost, stolen or damaged document can sometimes serve as temporary Form I-9 evidence. For a new hire, the replacement document generally must be presented within 90 days. At reverification, the receipt is presented by the date the original authorization expires, and the replacement document must generally follow within 90 days. This rule works only when the missing document would otherwise still have been valid. It does not extend an expired EAD or create new work authorization.

Can a Social Security Card Be Used for Form I-9?

An unrestricted Social Security card can be a List C document. A card marked “VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION” or “NOT VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT” is not a List C document. An EAD is a List A document. If you have another acceptable document or combination, you may choose it. Review the facts with the employer’s authorized Form I-9 contact and, when needed, immigration counsel.

Can I Travel With a Lost EAD?

An EAD is generally not a travel document. Some cards have also reflected separate advance-parole authorization, however. If your missing card included travel authorization, or another travel document is also missing, review the reentry rules before leaving the United States. Filing an I-765 replacement does not itself create permission to travel or return.

Records to Keep

Date, location and short description of the loss or theft
Police report and report number, if one was made
Secure copies of the missing cards; do not distribute the full SSN unnecessarily
Prior I-765 approval notice and USCIS receipt number
SSA and USCIS replacement receipts
USPS tracking and address-change records
FTC report, credit-bureau notices and communications about suspicious activity

Common Mistakes

Treating an EAD replacement as a renewal and assuming it extends the expiration date
Assuming the SSA and USCIS replacement processes communicate with each other automatically
Using an obsolete Form I-765 edition, wrong fee or wrong filing address
Confusing a never-delivered card with a card lost after delivery
Ignoring credit, tax and earnings records after an SSN card is stolen
Assuming the EAD is sufficient for international travel

Frequently Asked Questions

Does losing the cards affect my immigration status?

Physical loss alone generally does not end status or the underlying employment authorization. The EAD expiration date, eligibility category and separate status obligations still apply.

Is a police report required?

There is no universal police-report requirement for every SSA or EAD replacement. A report can be useful when the cards were stolen or misuse is suspected. Always check category-specific USCIS instructions.

Can I get a new SSN?

A lost or stolen card is normally replaced with the same number. The SSA considers a different number only in rare, documented circumstances.

Is the I-765 receipt enough to keep working?

Not in every case. A receipt for replacement of a lost document is different from an initial or renewal receipt. Even where the receipt rule applies, it does not create work authorization after the original authorization expires.

What if my EAD will expire soon?

A replacement does not extend validity. Renewal timing, any category-specific extension and the risk of a work gap require a separate review.

F-1 students whose card is based on OPT or STEM OPT should also review the category-specific rules in Clinch Law Firm’s OPT work-permit guide.

Conclusion

Losing both an SSN card and an EAD is manageable, but it should not be ignored. Request the free SSA replacement, file the correct USCIS replacement request, protect your identity and address any Form I-9 issue separately. If the EAD is expired, travel is planned or someone has already misused the documents, obtain an individualized legal review before acting.

Legal Information Notice

This article provides general information only. It is not individualized legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Form editions, fees, filing methods and employment-authorization rules may change. Information was checked on October 2, 2026; verify current official instructions before filing.