Green Card Renewal Guide – Form I-90

Green Card Renewal Application, or Form I-90, is a US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) form which allows applicants to obtain, replace or renew a green card.

If your green card is expired or soon-to-expire, has been lost, destroyed, damaged or stolen, then you must file Form I-90 with USCIS.

This article will discuss Form I-90 filing and application process, fees, required documents and processing time.

Green Card Renewal – Who Can File It?

You must file Form I-90 to renew or replace a green card if:

• You are a permanent resident whose 10-year green card has expired or will be expiring in the next six months;
• You are a permanent resident whose green cards have been damaged, lost, destroyed or stolen.

You can also fill out Form I-90 in the following situations:

• You never received your issued green card
• You legally changed your biographical information since the current green card was last issued
• An error exists on the green card whose fault is the Department of Homeland Security
• You have commuter status and will take up residence in the United States
• Your immigration status was automatically converted to “green card holder”. This applies to a narrow group of people, such as “Special Agricultural Workers.”
• You have an earlier edition of the Alien Registration Card that must be replaced with a current green card.
• The permanent resident has turned 14 years of age

Green Card Renewal – Who Cannot File It?

If you are in possession of a marriage-based conditional green card whose expiry date is two years after it was issued, you must follow a different option to replace it.

The process is known as “Petition to Remove Conditions” on the green card and is done by filing Form I-751.

To be eligible to remove conditions on your permanent residence status based on marriage, you must meet the following conditions:

• You must still be married to the same U.S. citizen or permanent resident after two years. You may also include your children in your application if they received their conditional-resident status either at the same time of within 90 days as you did,
• You are a child who received conditional permanent resident status based on your parent and cannot be included on your patents application for a valid reason,
• You are a widow or widower who entered into your marriage in good faith,
• You entered into marriage in good faith, but the marriage ended through divorce or annulment
• You entered into a marriage in good faith but either you or your child were battered or subjected to extreme hardship by your U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse

If you are an entrepreneur, you may petition to remove conditions on a Green Card obtained through financial investment in a U.S. business by filling Form I-829.

Green Card Renewal Checklist

The form alone is not enough to apply for a renewed or replaced green card.

You will need to provide supporting evidence as well.

The supporting documents that are required for filing Form I-90 vary depending on the reason you are applying for a new green card.

Your green card is among the supporting documents unless you never received it, or it was lost.

This table summarizes the documents you need to submit under different circumstances.

USCIS can reject your form if information about your family name, mailing address and date of birth are missing.

USCIS allows you to submit photocopies of supporting documents unless it states otherwise.

If the documents are written in a language other than English, you will need to include a certified translation of those documents with your form I-90

If you do not sign the form, USCIS can also reject it.

Green Card Renewal Fees

The green card renewal fee for Form I-90 is $455.

There is an additional biometrics fee of $85 for the fingerprinting process.

The total cost is $540.

Both these fees may be waived by completing Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver.

In order to waive these fees, the applicant will need to prove financial hardship resulting in the inability to pay the fees.

To apply for a fee waiver, you must complete a separate form and submit supporting documentation about your financial situation.

If approved, both the filing and biometrics fees ($540 total) will be waived, and you will pay $0.

Fees paid to USCIS are nonrefundable.

In some circumstances, you may be exempt from paying one or both fees if:

• Your Green Card was issued by USCIS, but you never received it
• Your Green Card contains errors made by DHS
• You qualify for a fee waiver. 

However, you pay only $85 if you turned 14 in the past 30 days and your Green Card will expire after you turn 16.

When filing Form I-912, you will provide documentation showing that you qualify based on one of the following criteria:

• You, your spouse, or the head of household living with you, are currently receiving a means-tested benefit (Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, SSI).
• Your household income is at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
• You are currently experiencing financial hardship that prevents you from paying the filing fee, including unexpected medical bills or emergencies.

If you are waiving the fee, you are not eligible to submit Form I-90 online. You must mail in a paper document.

Green Card Renewal Processing Time

It currently takes approximately 6.5-13 months to renew or replace a green card.

In some cases, it may take longer.

Form I-90 Processing Time

This varies depending on the location, situation as well as the current workload of USCIS.

If your Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, has been properly filed, USCIS will initially respond by mailing you a letter that confirms receipt of your application.

The receipt letter is formally known as Form I-797C, Notice of Action and arrives 1-3 weeks after filing.

If your I-90 Form has not been properly filed, USCIS may send a Notice of Action to reject the application or may send a Request for Evidence that requests additional items.

Next, you will receive an appointment notice that assigns your biometrics appointment date, time and location. The location will generally be the USCIS Application Support Center nearest you.

USCIS requires applicants to be fingerprinted for the purpose of conducting a security clearance and criminal background check.

After completing the biometrics appointment, USCIS will process your application to replace/renew your green card.

If your application is approved, your green card will be mailed to you.

Green cards are not mailed to non-U.S. addresses.

If you are a permanent resident in commuter status, USCIS will deliver the new green card to the port of entry that you named in your application.

If your application is denied, USCIS will mail you a notice explaining the reasons for the green card renewal denial.

When to Renew Your Green Card

Permanent residents are required by law to carry valid, unexpired proof of permanent resident status.

Permanent residents with an expired (or expiring within six months) card, should generally submit a green card renewal application to USCIS as soon as possible.

If you’ve been a permanent resident for at least five years (or a permanent resident while married to a U.S. citizen for the last three years), you may be able to skip the green card renewal application and proceed to U.S. citizenship.

Permanent residents with a 10-year green card generally should apply for renewal immediately if their card is already expired or within 6 months before it’s set to expire.

After reaching 14 years of age, a lawful permanent resident must register and submit Form I-90.

Registration and fingerprinting are required within 30 days after a child reaches 14 years of age.

If Your Green Card is Lost and You Need to Travel Abroad

If you need to leave the U.S. and travel abroad before you received your replacement green card, you will need to request an I-551 stamp in your passport.

This I-551 stamp will serve as a proof of your lawful permanent residence.

Generally, I-551 stamps are valid for one year.

Green card holders may obtain an I-551 stamp from the local field office by first calling the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 to schedule an appointment.

I-551 stamps may only be placed on Form I-94 (with photo) or an unexpired passport.