OPT EAD craziness

[r_radhika13]

Hi friends, I wanted to post about my annoying experience with my OPT EAD application. I sent my OPT package on March 11th requesting a June 12th start date. I get my receipt notice on March 21 st and approval notice on May 6th. So far everything was smooth. My online case status said that on May 4th my EAD was dispatched and I should wait 30 days to receive it. 30 days pass- no EAD card. I call up USCIS only to be told that USPS delivered it on May 8th morning. I followed up with local USPS office and they confirmed the same. Neither USCIS or USPS were willing to believe that I did not receive my document and refused to issue a new card or even grant a waiver.

I began to panic because my job start date is around June 20th. So I applied for a replacement EAD just two days ago, sending a money order of $410 for the application. I learned that we can use the receipt for the I-9 and work for at least three months while the replacement gets processed and arrives. Just this evening, close to 5 pm, I receive the EAD card through normal email. It is clearly my original and not my replacement EAD. Now I want to retract my application or at least cancel my money order (It reached USCIS only today, but its too late to get to customer service now).

I am really disappointed in USCIS and USPS. How can they have so little regard for customers, when we pay so much for these applications?