Green Card Renewal and Replacement (Form I-90)

The short answer: if you're a lawful permanent resident, your green card can expire, but your permanent resident status does not. The card is just evidence of your status - a bit like a driver's license expiring doesn't mean you forget how to drive. When your Permanent Resident Card is expiring, lost, stolen, damaged, or contains an error, you generally file Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This is general information, not legal advice - for anything unusual in your situation, talk to a qualified immigration attorney or a Department of Justice (DOJ)-accredited representative.

Card vs. status: the distinction that matters most

Two different things are easy to confuse:

• Your status is your legal standing as a lawful permanent resident (LPR). Once granted, it continues indefinitely unless it is formally lost - for example, through a finding that you abandoned your residence, certain criminal convictions, or removal (deportation) proceedings.
• Your card is the physical document (Form I-551) that proves your status to employers, airlines, banks, and government agencies. Standard cards issued to non-conditional permanent residents are valid for 10 years and must be renewed when they expire.

An expired card does not put you back in a "no status" position. But because so many everyday systems rely on the physical card as proof, letting it lapse can create very real friction - which is why renewing before (or promptly after) expiration matters in practice even though it doesn't matter legally for your status itself.

When you need Form I-90

Form I-90 covers both renewal and replacement. Common reasons people file include:

• Your 10-year card is expiring or has already expired.
• Your card was lost, stolen, or destroyed.
• Your card was never received after being mailed to you (only use this reason if it truly was not delivered - check your case status online first, since selecting this incorrectly can cause delays).
• The card is damaged, mutilated, or contains incorrect information due to a USCIS error, or your legal name or other biographic information has changed.
• You have an older card with no expiration date, or one issued before your 14th birthday, or a card that used an older, no-longer-valid design.
• You obtained a court order changing your name or other identifying information after the card was issued.

Important: conditional (2-year) green cards do not use Form I-90

This is a hard deadline area. If your permanent residence is conditional - most commonly because it was based on a marriage that was less than two years old when your green card was approved, or on an EB-5 investment - your card is valid for only two years, and Form I-90 will not renew it or protect your status. Instead:

• Marriage-based conditional residents generally must file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence.
• EB-5 investor conditional residents generally must file Form I-829, Petition by Investor to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status.

Both are generally due within the 90 days immediately before the conditional card's expiration date. Filing Form I-90 by mistake in this situation does not preserve your status, and missing the correct filing window can lead to loss of permanent resident status and removal proceedings. If you are unsure whether your card is conditional, look at the "Category" listed on the front of the card, or the expiration date itself (a 2-year validity period is the biggest clue) - and when in doubt, confirm with USCIS or an immigration attorney before doing anything.

Why an expired card still causes problems

Even though your status survives an expired card, in practice an expired card can create friction such as:

• Employment: employers may need to reverify your work authorization using a current document under Form I-9 rules, and an expired card alone is generally not an acceptable List A document for that reverification.
• Travel: airlines and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers expect to see a valid, unexpired card when you reenter the United States after international travel.
• Everyday verification: banks, licensing agencies, and other institutions that ask for proof of immigration status may not accept an expired card.

This is the practical reason to renew promptly, even though the law does not require it to preserve your underlying status.

Using a pending I-90 as temporary proof

USCIS has, at various points, allowed permanent residents who timely file a renewal Form I-90 to use their receipt notice together with the expired card as temporary evidence of status and work authorization, for a set number of months from the card's expiration date. The length of that automatic extension has changed over time, so do not rely on a number you saw somewhere else - check the extension period printed on your own current receipt notice, or confirm the current policy directly at uscis.gov/i-90 or by calling the USCIS Contact Center. This extension generally applies to renewals of an existing 10-year card, not to first-time replacement situations like a lost or stolen card that hasn't yet been renewed once.

What to do: filing steps

1. Confirm you're using the right form. Standard 10-year card renewal/replacement = Form I-90. Conditional 2-year card = Form I-751 or I-829 instead (see above).
2. Gather your documents. You'll typically need a copy of your current or most recent green card (if you have it), and documentation supporting your reason for filing (e.g., a police report for a stolen card, or a court order for a legal name change).
3. File online or by paper. USCIS has increasingly moved I-90 filing to its online account system, though a paper filing option has also remained available. Check uscis.gov/i-90 for the current filing options and instructions.
4. Pay the current filing fee. Fees change periodically and biometrics requirements have also changed over time (in recent years USCIS folded biometrics into the base I-90 fee for most filers, though some fee-waiver or fee-exempt categories still exist). Do not rely on a dollar figure from an old article - check the current USCIS fee schedule at the time you file.
5. Complete biometrics if required. USCIS will notify you if you need to visit an Application Support Center (ASC) for fingerprints and a photo.
6. Track your case. Use your receipt number at uscis.gov/casestatus to monitor progress, and keep your receipt notice with your expired card if you plan to use it as temporary evidence of status.

Fees and processing time: check the official source

Filing fees for Form I-90 change from time to time, and USCIS processing times vary significantly by service center and case type - both have shifted more than once in recent years. Rather than relying on a specific dollar amount or a "typical wait" you might see quoted elsewhere, check:

• The current USCIS fee schedule at uscis.gov for the exact filing fee and any fee-waiver eligibility.
• The USCIS Case Processing Times tool at uscis.gov for current, service-center-specific estimates for Form I-90.

If your card was lost or stolen while you were abroad

A card lost, stolen, or destroyed while you are outside the United States is a different, more time-sensitive situation than a routine renewal. Filing Form I-90 alone will not get you back into the country. Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate before your return trip - you will likely need to apply for a boarding foil using Form I-131A, Application for Travel Document (Carrier Documentation), so an airline will allow you to board a flight to the United States.

Older cards with no expiration date

Some permanent residents still hold older-style cards that were issued without any expiration date. USCIS has stated these older cards are no longer considered valid proof of status for certain purposes, including Form I-9 employment reverification, even though the holder's underlying status has not changed. If your card has no expiration date, it's worth confirming with USCIS whether you should file Form I-90 to obtain a current card.

Watch out for notario and immigration-services fraud

Renewing or replacing a green card is a document filing that you can generally complete yourself using official USCIS forms and instructions. Be cautious of anyone who is not a licensed attorney or DOJ-accredited representative charging large fees to "expedite" or "guarantee" your green card renewal - in many states, notarios and unlicensed "immigration consultants" are not authorized to provide legal advice and their involvement has caused people to lose money or, in worse cases, jeopardize their immigration status. If you need help beyond simply filling out the form, consult a licensed immigration attorney or a representative accredited by the DOJ's Executive Office for Immigration Review (justice.gov/eoir).

This article is general information about U.S. immigration procedure, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Immigration rules, forms, fees, and deadlines change - always confirm current requirements at uscis.gov before filing, and consult a qualified immigration attorney or DOJ-accredited representative for advice about your specific situation.