Every green card holder is aware of how important the card is. The green card grants the owner permission to work and have permanent residency in the United States. If you travel outside, your green card must be presented to re-enter the U.S.. You may need to replace your green card if the need arises.

What Is a green card?

Officially, your green card is also known as your permanent residence card. The card is evidence that you are lawfully residing in the country. Permission to accept employment and live in the U.S. benefits, green card holders. You only surrender these rights if your green card has expired or been lost.

However, traveling abroad or getting a job will become very difficult if you do not have a valid green card. Therefore, you will need to renew or replace your green card, as the case may be. To replace your permanent resident card, you will need to use Form I-90.

Steps for replacing your green card

The processing time for Form I-90 can take more than eight months. For this reason, applying for a mortgage, getting a new job, renewing your driver’s license, or traveling abroad would require that you provide proof of permanent resident status. However, you can get temporary proof in urgent cases like these. An unexpired, valid passport from your country will be used.

A passport from your country of origin that is current and unexpired is required. You must renew it through your nation’s consulate in the United States if yours has expired. You can follow these steps to replace your green card.

1. Reasons to replace your green card

You must know why you need to replace your green card. You should file for a replacement immediately if your green card expires within six months.

You must file for a replacement as soon as possible because receiving a new green card can take several months. You can request a new green card for any of these legitimate reasons:

In six months or less, your credit card will expire, or it has already expired.

2. Fill Out Form I-90

You can prepare Form I-90 or ask someone to do it for you. You can obtain it from the USCIS website. There is also a need for you to review the 13-page guidelines. Obtaining the form costs nothing, but you will have to pay for the USCIS filing fee.

Many people take it upon themselves to prepare the form, but any mistake can result in denials or delays. In addition, if you are a conditional permanent resident who married a U.S. citizen, you should not use Form I-90 to apply.

3. Mail documents with Form I-90

There are specific documents that you have to put together and submit with Form I-90 and your payment. Ensure that you download the instructions if you have downloaded the form from USCIS’s website. You can find the details of the documents you need to follow for your green card replacement there.

You must get all the information while sending the documents with the USCIS filing fee. Therefore, when sending your documents, ensure that you use certified mail and keep the receipt.

4. Receive your receipt notice

After filing your Form I-90, you should get Form I-797C, a Notice of Action letter from USCIS, in approximately 2 to 3 weeks. The document “receipt notice” is important. It is a confirmation that your Form I-90 has been accepted. It also represents an extension of your green card’s validity for another 24 months.

You can present your expired green card with the receipt notice as evidence of continued status. The expired card and the letter can be used as valid green cards for things like re-entering the U.S. or accepting employment offers. There is also a receipt number on the receipt notice, which you can use to track your case status on the website.

5. Be present for your biometrics appointment

You must be present at your biometric appointment even when you have to travel during your replacement process. You should receive a letter from USCIS notifying you that you have been scheduled for a biometric appointment at an Application Support Center close to you. It would help if you got the mail approximately 3 to 5 weeks after filing Form I-90.

Ensure that you attend the biometrics appointment as scheduled with your appointment letter and other documents stated in the letter. The appointment includes taking your photo for the green card and registering your fingerprints. In case you cannot make the appointment, you can reschedule, but it can delay the delivery of your new green card.

6. Receive your new green card

After filing Form I-90, there is no interview. Your new green card should arrive in the mail unless you have committed a crime or there are complications. Generally, it is recommended that you contact an experienced immigration attorney if you do have immigration violations or criminal records before filing.

The whole process should take between 8 and 10 months, and you should ensure that you accurately prepare Form I-90 and include all required documents in your file. After receiving your new green card, endeavor to photocopy both sides. The photocopy will make it easier to prepare another Form I-90 in case you ever lose your green card.

Conclusion

You can replace your green card, but you should know that it is both cheap and fast. However, the entire process is relatively simple for most people. Remember to keep a copy of your current green card if you destroy or lose the original.