In a quiet but potentially game-changing move, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) posted a Request for Information (RFI #70SBUR26I00000010) on 5 March 2026 seeking vendor input on creating secure, wallet-based digital analogues to the Permanent Resident Card (green card) and Employment Authorization Document (EAD). The solicitation, released by the Office of Intake and Document Production, asks industry to propose mobile-driver-license-style credentials or W3C verifiable-credential solutions that could be validated both online and offline by CBP, employers, state DMVs and law-enforcement.
![USCIS Issues March 5 RFI for Mobile ‘Digital Green Card’ and EAD, Signaling Paperless Future for Immigration Documents]()
For companies seeking practical guidance on navigating current green-card and EAD processes—even as they go digital—VisaHQ can help. Its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) offers step-by-step filing support and customized compliance advice, positioning employers and travelers to pivot quickly when USCIS rolls out wallet-based credentials.
USCIS specifies FedRAMP authorization, FIPS-validated crypto modules, selective-attribute disclosure (so users can share only what is necessary), and scalability to “millions of holders.” While the agency stresses that digital cards would supplement—not replace—physical documents, insiders say the long-term vision is a paperless ecosystem in which most I-9 and work-authorization checks occur via QR-code scan or NFC tap. From a global-mobility perspective, the impact could be profound. Expatriates often wait weeks for plastic EADs to arrive before they can start work or apply for a Social Security number. A real-time digital credential would let employers onboard transferees almost immediately after approval, slashing bench costs and project delays. It could also streamline airport re-entry: a CBP officer could validate status even if the physical card is lost in transit. Vendors have until 6 April to submit 25-page capability statements. USCIS has not disclosed a timetable for a formal solicitation, but officials privately indicate pilot issuance could begin as early as FY 2028 if funding materializes. Mobility leaders should monitor the RFI closely, as HR and travel-policy systems will eventually need to interface with whatever standard USCIS adopts.
For companies seeking practical guidance on navigating current green-card and EAD processes—even as they go digital—VisaHQ can help. Its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) offers step-by-step filing support and customized compliance advice, positioning employers and travelers to pivot quickly when USCIS rolls out wallet-based credentials.
USCIS specifies FedRAMP authorization, FIPS-validated crypto modules, selective-attribute disclosure (so users can share only what is necessary), and scalability to “millions of holders.” While the agency stresses that digital cards would supplement—not replace—physical documents, insiders say the long-term vision is a paperless ecosystem in which most I-9 and work-authorization checks occur via QR-code scan or NFC tap. From a global-mobility perspective, the impact could be profound. Expatriates often wait weeks for plastic EADs to arrive before they can start work or apply for a Social Security number. A real-time digital credential would let employers onboard transferees almost immediately after approval, slashing bench costs and project delays. It could also streamline airport re-entry: a CBP officer could validate status even if the physical card is lost in transit. Vendors have until 6 April to submit 25-page capability statements. USCIS has not disclosed a timetable for a formal solicitation, but officials privately indicate pilot issuance could begin as early as FY 2028 if funding materializes. Mobility leaders should monitor the RFI closely, as HR and travel-policy systems will eventually need to interface with whatever standard USCIS adopts.
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