The 10-year green card is the standard Permanent Resident Card issued to lawful permanent residents whose status carries no conditions. The card is valid for ten years, but your underlying status as a permanent resident does not expire when the card does. You renew the card so your photo and biometrics stay current and so employers and border officers can verify your authorization at a glance.
People admitted conditionally through a recent marriage or through investment receive a two-year card instead, and they have to take an extra step before they hold a ten-year card at all.
Who Gets a 10-Year Card
Most new permanent residents receive the ten-year card straight away. The common pathways are family sponsorship by a U.S. citizen or existing permanent resident, employment-based petitions filed by U.S. employers for professionals, skilled workers, and people with extraordinary abilities under the Immigration and Nationality Act,1eCFR. 8 CFR 204.5 – Petitions for Employment-Based Immigrants and adjustment of status by refugees and people granted asylum after meeting their initial requirements.
The two-year conditional card is different. If you got permanent residence through marriage to a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and the marriage was less than two years old when you were admitted, your first card is conditional. To move onto the standard ten-year card, you file Form I-751 during the 90-day window immediately before the conditional card expires.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence Filing too early risks rejection. Missing the window entirely is worse: you can lose your conditional status and face removal.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. When to File Your Petition to Remove Conditions
The I-751 is normally filed jointly with your spouse, with documents showing the marriage is genuine: joint bank statements, joint tax returns, shared leases, and similar evidence.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence If the marriage ended through divorce, abuse, or your spouse’s death, you can file a waiver of the joint filing requirement and carry a heavier burden of proof. Conditional investors follow a parallel process, showing the qualifying business enterprise remains active.
One point worth clearing up: there is a separate legal remedy sometimes called the “ten-year rule,” which lets an immigration judge cancel a removal order and grant permanent residence to someone with ten years of continuous physical presence.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1229b – Cancellation of Removal; Adjustment of Status That is cancellation of removal, filed with the immigration court on Form EOIR-42B during removal proceedings.5Executive Office for Immigration Review. Cancellation of Removal for Nonpermanent Residents It is not the ten-year green card and not something you can apply for at USCIS.
When and How to Renew Your 10-Year Card
USCIS recommends filing Form I-90 to renew your card when it has expired or will expire within six months.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Replace Your Green Card An expired card doesn’t end your permanent resident status, but it causes problems at the border, with employers running E-Verify, and at any agency that needs current documentation.
The I-90 filing fee is $465 on paper or $415 online. Some applicants pay nothing, including those whose previous card was never delivered because of a USCIS error, and those who qualify for a fee waiver through Form I-912. Fees change periodically, so check the current schedule before you file.
You can mail the I-90 to a designated lockbox facility or file it through the USCIS online portal. Once USCIS accepts the filing, you’ll receive Form I-797C, a Notice of Action confirming receipt and giving you a receipt number to track the case.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797C, Notice of Action Keep that notice. USCIS is clear that it proves you filed but does not mean the case is approved.
You’ll then get a biometrics appointment at a local Application Support Center. Bring the appointment notice, a government-issued photo ID, and originals of any documents you submitted. Once approved, your new ten-year card is produced and mailed to the address on file.
As of early 2026, I-90 renewals take roughly 8.5 to 11 months for most applicants. Timelines shift with USCIS workload, so check the agency’s online processing times tool before assuming how long yours will take.
Replacing a Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Card
If your card is lost, stolen, or destroyed, file the same Form I-90 to request a replacement.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) If it was stolen, get a police report.
While the replacement is processing, you may need temporary proof of status for travel or work. You can request an I-551 stamp, also called an ADIT stamp, in your foreign passport. It works as a temporary green card. Call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 and ask about having one mailed, or schedule an in-person appointment at a local USCIS office through the online tool. Bring your valid passport, the I-797C receipt notice for the pending I-90, and a government-issued photo ID.
Keeping Your Status While You Hold the Card
Your status doesn’t expire with the card, but it can be lost through abandonment, and the main risk is time spent outside the country. An absence of more than six months but less than a year creates a presumption of broken continuous residence, which complicates future naturalization.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 12 Part D Chapter 3 – Continuous Residence An absence of a year or more without a re-entry permit can result in losing status entirely. If you expect to be abroad for more than a year, apply for a re-entry permit using Form I-131 before you leave; the permit is valid for two years from issue.10USAGov. Travel Documents for Foreign Citizens Returning to the U.S.
You’re also required to report any change of address to USCIS within 10 days of moving. Do it online through your USCIS account or by mailing paper Form AR-11.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. How to Change Your Address A missed address update can mean missing critical notices about your case.
Two other duties come with the card. The IRS treats lawful permanent residents the same as citizens for income tax: your worldwide income is subject to U.S. tax no matter where you live or where the money was earned, and you file Form 1040 each year.12Internal Revenue Service. Tax Information and Responsibilities for New Immigrants to the United States That obligation continues until you surrender or lose the status. Male permanent residents between the ages of 18 and 25 must register with the Selective Service System within 30 days of entering the country or within 30 days of turning 18, whichever is later.13Selective Service System. Who Needs to Register Failing to register can block future naturalization and certain federal benefits.
Moving From the 10-Year Card to Citizenship
The ten-year card isn’t the finish line for many holders. After five years of continuous residence as a lawful permanent resident, you become eligible to apply for naturalization using Form N-400.14Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1427 – Requirements of Naturalization If you got your green card through marriage to a U.S. citizen and you remain married and living together, the wait drops to three years.15U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-400, Application for Naturalization
You can file the N-400 up to 90 days before you hit the residency requirement.15U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-400, Application for Naturalization You’ll need to show good moral character, pass an English language test and a civics exam, and demonstrate physical presence in the United States for at least half of the required residency period. Naturalization is optional. You can hold a green card indefinitely, renewing it every ten years, and citizenship is the choice that adds voting rights, federal employment eligibility, and protection from deportation.