There are a variety of reasons to renew/replace your Green Card. It is important to have a valid Green Card for identification purposes and for working or traveling.
Reasons to renew your Green Card:
- Your Green Card was lost, stolen, or destroyed.
- Your name has been legally changed since the time your Green Card was issued.
- You are a permanent resident whose Green Card is expired or will be expiring within 6 months.
- You never received your Green Card in the mail.
- Your Green Card was delivered with errors due to USCIS.
- You have an older version of the Green Card, which must be updated
What’s needed to renew your Green Card?
- Form I-90
- $450 application fee, which includes a biometrics fee (in most cases).
- A copy of the Green Card may be required, depending on the reason you are renewing.
- Documentation demonstrating the correct information that should be on your new Green Card, if applicable.
After applying:
- After applying, your application will be in pending status.
- If you need to travel, you can go to a USCIS office to obtain a stamp in your passport verifying that you have a pending Green Card renewal.
- If you are filing to renew your Green Card which was granted before you reached the age of 14 years, you will be required to have your fingerprints taken again.
- New or recent crimes could result in denial of your renewal application or other problems
- Once the Green Card renewal is approved, you will be issued a Green Card valid for 10 years.
What if your green card is already expired or has been expired for quite some time?
You will not be penalized by USCIS if your Green Card is expired. You will be still considered a legal permanent resident. However, if you travel outside of the U.S., and try to re-enter with an expired Green Card, you may experience some difficulty. Also, you may have issues obtaining employment with an expired Green Card. For these reasons, it is important to renew you Green Card as soon as possible.
Note:
If your Green Card was issued on a conditional basis for 2 years, you should not apply for a Green Card renewal using the I-90. Rather, you will need to apply for a removal of the conditions on your card. The removal of conditions process is complicated and varies based on the specific type of conditions relating to your case. If you have questions about the removal of conditions process, feel free to reach out to us at 855-847-2669.
For questions about Green Card renewal, contact us at 855-VISANOW.