The USCIS identity documents that prove immigration status are the green card for permanent residents, the Employment Authorization Document for temporary workers and certain applicants, travel documents such as the Refugee Travel Document and Reentry Permit, the I-94 arrival record issued by CBP, and the Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship for those who have become U.S. citizens. Which one you carry depends on your immigration category, and each has its own validity period, renewal form, and fee.
Green Card (Form I-551)
Lawful permanent residents carry the Permanent Resident Card, officially Form I-551.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Handbook for Employers M-274 – 7.1 Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) It shows your legal name, photograph, fingerprint, signature, a nine-digit Alien Registration Number, and a “Resident Since” date. The card proves identity for employment verification and works as a travel document for re-entering the country after trips abroad.
A standard green card is valid for ten years. USCIS recommends filing for renewal within six months of expiration using Form I-90, which costs $415 online or $465 on paper.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Replace Your Green Card3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule The same form covers lost, stolen, or damaged cards and legal name changes. If USCIS made the error on the card, the replacement filing is free.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Immigration Documents and How to Correct, Update, or Replace Them
While your I-90 is pending, a USCIS officer can place a temporary I-551 stamp in your foreign passport. The stamp carries an expiration date and functions exactly like the card itself for employment verification and international travel. New immigrants who just arrived on an immigrant visa and haven’t received their card yet also use it.
Conditional Green Cards
If you received your green card through marriage and the marriage was less than two years old when you became a resident, your card is conditional and valid for only two years.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Conditional Permanent Residence To keep your status, you must file Form I-751 during the 90-day window immediately before the card expires. Filing too early gets the petition rejected; filing too late means your permanent resident status has already lapsed and you become removable from the country.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence
If your spouse has died, you have divorced, or you experienced domestic violence, you can file without your spouse’s participation at any time after receiving conditional status.
Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766)
If you’re not a permanent resident but have permission to work in the United States, your proof is the Employment Authorization Document, officially Form I-766.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Employment Authorization Document The EAD is strictly temporary and displays a clear expiration date. The card also shows your eligibility category, which determines how long your work authorization lasts.
You apply by filing Form I-765. The base filing fee is $470 online or $520 on paper.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, initial EADs for asylum applicants, parolees, and Temporary Protected Status holders carry an additional fee of $560, with renewal fees of $275 to $280 depending on the category. These supplemental fees cannot be waived.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Announces FY 2026 Inflation Increase for Certain Immigration Related Fees If you already filed Form I-485 with a fee on or after April 1, 2024, the I-765 fee drops to $260.
When an EAD expires and hasn’t been renewed, the legal right to work ends with it. Employers must check the expiration date at hiring, and continuing to employ someone with an expired EAD violates federal law.
Automatic EAD Extensions Are Largely Gone
Before October 30, 2025, filing a timely EAD renewal automatically extended the existing card for up to 540 days while USCIS processed the new application. That safety net no longer exists for most categories. As of October 30, 2025, filing an EAD renewal does not automatically extend your work authorization.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. DHS Ends Automatic Extension of Employment Authorization Limited exceptions remain for extensions provided by statute or through Federal Register notices for TPS-related employment documentation. Any gap between an old EAD expiring and a new one arriving means no legal work during that period.
File as far in advance of expiration as possible, and plan for the possibility of a work gap.
Travel Documents and the I-94
Several immigration categories rely on specialized travel documents, especially when a passport from the home country isn’t available or would be dangerous to obtain.
Refugee Travel Document and Reentry Permit
If you have refugee or asylee status, you need a Refugee Travel Document to leave and re-enter the United States. USCIS issues this at no filing fee. Permanent residents who plan to stay outside the country for a year or more should apply for a Reentry Permit, which costs $630 and is generally valid for two years from issuance.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Travel Documents Without a reentry permit, a long absence can create the presumption that you have abandoned your residence.
Both documents come through Form I-131.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records The same form requests advance parole, which lets people with certain pending applications, such as adjustment of status, travel abroad and return without abandoning the application.
Form I-94 Arrival-Departure Record
Your I-94 is one of the most important documents in your immigration file, even though most people never hold a physical copy. Customs and Border Protection typically issues it electronically at entry, and it records your class of admission and the date by which you must depart.12U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Arrival/Departure Forms: I-94 and I-94W You can retrieve and print your current I-94 from CBP’s website at any time.13U.S. Customs and Border Protection. I-94/I-95 Website
The “admit until” date defines your authorized period of stay. Overstaying triggers unlawful presence, which can bar you from future visas. If your I-94 was lost or never issued properly and you can’t retrieve it online, file Form I-102 with USCIS at a cost of $560, plus a $24 supplemental fee required by recent legislation.14U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-102, Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document If CBP made an error, don’t file the form. Visit the nearest CBP port of entry or deferred inspection office to have it corrected at no charge.
Naturalization and Citizenship Certificates
When you naturalize, USCIS issues a Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550). If the original is lost or damaged, the replacement is Form N-570.15U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Commonly Used Immigration Documents The certificate shows your name, USCIS registration number, and the date you took the oath of allegiance. To reach this point, you file Form N-400 for naturalization, which costs $710 online or $760 on paper.16U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-400, Application for Naturalization
Children who derive or acquire citizenship through a parent receive a Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-560), obtained by filing Form N-600 with a filing fee of $1,385. These certificates never expire and serve as the strongest proof of citizenship USCIS issues. People typically use them to obtain a U.S. passport or establish eligibility for federal benefits that require citizenship.
Replacing or Updating a Citizenship Certificate
If your certificate is lost, destroyed, or contains incorrect information, file Form N-565 for a replacement. The fee is $505 when filed online.17U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document If the error was made by USCIS, you still file N-565 but pay no fee, provided you return the incorrect certificate and include documentation showing what the correct information should be.
If your legal name has changed since the certificate was issued, you can update it through the same form. You will need the court order authorizing the name change, or a state-issued document reflecting the new name if the change happened through marriage, divorce, or state law.18U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application for Replacement of Naturalization/Citizenship Document
When USCIS Puts the Wrong Information on Your Document
If USCIS made the mistake, you should not have to pay for the fix. The general rule is that you refile the original form but skip the fee, return the incorrect document, and include a written explanation of what went wrong.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Immigration Documents and How to Correct, Update, or Replace Them The specific route varies by document:
- Green card errors: File Form I-90 and select the category indicating a Department of Homeland Security error. Include the card and supporting documents showing the correct information.
- EAD errors: For simple typos, submit a service request through the USCIS website and select “EAD Replacement due to USCIS Error.” For errors requiring evidence, mail a letter explaining the issue along with the incorrect card to the Lee’s Summit Production Facility.
- Travel document errors: Refile Form I-131 and select the option indicating the document has incorrect information caused by an error not your fault.
- I-94 errors made by USCIS: File Form I-102 with the incorrect record and a statement explaining the needed correction.
Keep copies of everything you send, including the defective document. Processing can stretch for months, and your own records are what save you if something gets lost.
Fee Waivers
Many USCIS filing fees are waivable if you can demonstrate financial hardship. You request a waiver by filing Form I-912, and you generally qualify if your household income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines.19U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Poverty Guidelines You can also qualify by showing you receive a means-tested government benefit, or by documenting extreme financial hardship even if your income is above the threshold.
Not every form is eligible. The supplemental fees imposed on certain EAD categories by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act cannot be waived. Fee waiver requests also cannot be filed online, so if you need one, submit the entire application package on paper.
How These Documents Connect to State IDs and REAL ID
USCIS documents don’t only matter for immigration purposes. When you apply for a state driver’s license, professional license, or government benefits, the issuing agency often verifies your status through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program, or SAVE. It confirms your status directly with USCIS but does not decide whether you qualify for the specific benefit or license.20U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. SAVE
REAL ID compliance adds another layer. To get a REAL ID-compliant license or identification card, you must present immigration documents that meet federal standards. Permanent residents can present their green card or a passport with a temporary I-551 stamp. EAD holders present their employment authorization card. Nonimmigrants typically need a valid passport, visa, and I-94.21Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID Frequently Asked Questions If any of these have expired, you won’t be able to obtain or renew a REAL ID-compliant license, which affects boarding domestic flights and entering federal buildings.
Carrying Your Documents Is Required
Federal law requires every non-citizen age 18 and over to carry their registration document at all times.22Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1304 – Forms for Registration and Fingerprinting Failing to have your green card, EAD, or other registration document on your person is a federal misdemeanor. The maximum penalty is a $100 fine, up to 30 days in jail, or both, for each offense. Enforcement varies in practice, but the requirement is on the books and can compound other immigration issues if you are already in removal proceedings or have a status violation.