Green Card

Effective Sept. 10, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services automatically extended the validity of Permanent Resident Cards (also known as Green Cards) to 36 months for lawful permanent residents who file a Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card.    A Form I-90 receipt notices had previously provided a 24-month extension of the validity of a Green Card.   

Lawful permanent residents who properly file a Form I-90 to renew an expiring or expired Green Card may receive this extension. USCIS has updated the language on Form I-90 receipt notices to extend the validity of a Green Card for 36 months from the expiration date on the face of the current Green Card for individuals with a newly filed a Form I-90 renewal request. On September 10, 2024, USCIS began printing amended receipt notices for individuals with a pending Form I-90 application.   

These receipt notices can be presented with an expired Green Card as evidence of continued status. This extension is expected to help applicants who experience longer processing times, because they will receive proof of lawful permanent resident status as they await their renewed Green Card.  

Evidence of Green Card

If you no longer have your Green Card and you need evidence of your lawful permanent resident status while waiting to receive your replacement Green Card, you may request an appointment at a USCIS field office by contacting the USCIS Contact Center, and we may issue you an Alien Documentation, Identification, and Telecommunications (ADIT) stamp after you file Form I-90.   

For more information, visit our Replace Your Green Card page.   

When Must a Green Card be Replaced?

If you are a lawful permanent resident, you must replace your Green Card if:

• Your Green Card is either expired or will expire within the next six months;
• Your previous card was lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed;
• You received your card before you were 14 and you have reached your 14th birthday (unless your card expires before your 16th birthday);
• You have been a commuter and are now taking up actual residence in the United States;
• You have been a permanent resident residing in the United States and are now taking up commuter status;
• Your status has been automatically converted to permanent resident status (this includes special agricultural worker applicants who converted to permanent resident status);
• You have a previous version of the alien registration card (for example, USCIS Form AR-3, Form AR-103 or Form I-151, which are no longer valid to prove your immigration status) and must replace it with a current Green Card;
• Your card contains incorrect information;
• You have legally changed your name or other biographic information on the card since you last received your card;
• If you have an old version of the card that is no longer valid; or
• You never received the previous card we issued to you.

If you are a conditional permanent resident, you must replace your Green Card if:

• Your previous card was lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed;
• Your card contains incorrect information;
• You have legally changed your name or other biographic information on the card since you last received your card; or
• You never received the previous card we issued to you.

Old Versions of LPR Card That are No longer Valid

If you have a previous version of the noncitizen registration card (for example, USCIS Form AR-3, Form AR-103 or Form I-151), you must replace it with a current Green Card.

LEGAL AUTHORITY

Section 264 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) states, “Every alien in the United States . . . shall be issued a certificate of alien registration or an alien registration receipt card in such form and manner and at such time as shall be prescribed under regulations . . .”

It also says, “Every alien, eighteen years of age and over, shall at all times carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card issued to him . . .. Any alien who fails to comply with [these provisions] shall be guilty of a misdemeanor…”

The specific requirements and procedures for applying to replace a Green Card are contained in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 8 CFR section 264.5.

WHAT IS A USCIS FORM I-551?

A Form I-551 is the physical card that is issued as proof of a person’s legal permanent resident status. It is the actual “green card.” It has changed several times of the years so it is no longer green but it is still referred to as a green card by most.