Do I Need to Renew My Green Card?

Do I Need To Renew My Green Card?

 

You may have had your green card for quite a while and you are now asking yourself: Do I need to renew my green card?

The first thing you should do if you are asking: Do I need to renew my green card? is actually look at your green card.  The expiration date is on the card itself.  Generally green cards expire after 10 years.

If you’re living in the United States and your green card has expired, is about to expire within six months or you’ve had your green card for ten years or more, you can start the renewal process. Take advantage of renewing your green card online for your convenience. You can fill out form I-90 online or fill it out on the paper form (Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card).

There are a few eligibility requirements in order to e-File. You can e-file if your current green card has been lost, stolen or destroyed, if your name and residence has changed, you have taken up commuter status, you are now becoming an actual resident of the U.S., you’ve automatically become a permanent resident and if you have an older edition of the card and you need the new type.

Form I-90 costs $450 and cannot be filled out if you are filling out other paperwork at the same time. Once you make the payment, you will receive instructions on where to mail the form on the confirmation receipt. You must mail the form to the address on the confirmation receipt in order to avoid delays. You will be mailed from I-797C which is a notice of action. This notice serves as evidence that you filled out the application.

If you are outside the United States and your green card is set to expire in six months but you plan to return to the U.S. within one year and before your card expires, you can apply to have your green card renewed as well. If you are outside the U.S. when your card expires, then you should contact the USCIS office. You can renew your green card if you are a permanent resident by filling out form I-551 which is valid for ten years.

Make sure to check the status of your application online. Contact our office for immigration related questions at 1-888-801-6558.

Hopefully, this blog post titled: “Do I need to renew my green card” has been helpful.  However, because there is the possibility that the case can be denied (usually due to USCIS learning about criminal activity when an applicant applies) you should always consult with an experienced immigration attorney prior to filing any paperwork with USCIS.

Lawrence Gruner is an Immigration Attorney with almost 20 years of experience handling immigration cases.  He can be reached at 888-801-6558 or 916-760-7270.  He would be happy to talk to you about your immigration options. Our office also handles, green card through marriage cases and fiancé visa cases.  We would be happy to talk to you about your options.