Can I Apply for N-400 With an Expired Green Card?

Yes, you can apply for naturalization with an expired green card. Permanent resident status is a legal standing that does not disappear when the card’s printed expiration date passes, and USCIS accepts Form N-400 from lawful permanent residents whose cards are no longer current.¹ Filing the N-400 also triggers an automatic 24-month extension of the expired card, so in most cases you can skip renewing it separately.

The Card Expires, Your Status Does Not

The green card (Form I-551) is evidence of your permanent resident status, not the status itself. Lawful permanent residence continues until an immigration judge formally revokes it. The ten-year validity period printed on the card is administrative.

USCIS decides naturalization cases based on the applicant’s underlying immigration status, not on whether the plastic card is current. If you were lawfully admitted as a permanent resident and have held that status long enough to qualify, an expired card creates no obstacle to filing. There are no automatic denials, fines, or extra scrutiny for filing with an expired card.²

Filing the N-400 also spares you the cost of renewing the card. Form I-90, the green card renewal application, carries its own filing fee of $415 online or $465 on paper.³ If you are eligible for naturalization, there is little reason to pay that on top of the N-400 fee. USCIS itself recommends checking naturalization eligibility before filing Form I-90.⁴

The Automatic 24-Month Extension

When USCIS receives your N-400, it issues Form I-797, a Notice of Action confirming receipt. That receipt notice automatically extends the validity of your green card for 24 months from the “Card Expires” date printed on the card. Carried together, your expired card and the I-797 receipt count as valid, unexpired evidence of permanent resident status.² For most applicants, this 24-month window covers the full naturalization timeline from filing through the oath ceremony.

The extension applies specifically to N-400 filers. Applicants who instead file Form I-90 to renew the card receive a separate 36-month extension under a different policy.⁵ Do not confuse the two; they serve different purposes.

What to Submit With an Expired Card

Include a clear photocopy of both the front and back of your expired green card with your N-400. Even expired, the card is your primary evidence of lawful admission. Pull the following details directly from it:

Alien Registration Number (A-Number): a seven-, eight-, or nine-digit number printed on the front of the card, preceded by the letter “A.”⁶
Date of Admission: the date you officially became a permanent resident.
USCIS Number: this may match your A-Number or appear separately on newer cards.

If the card is lost or stolen rather than merely expired, explain the circumstances on the form and include supporting documentation such as a police report.

Confirm that your name is spelled on the application exactly as it appears on the card. Mismatches between the application and existing government records will trigger a Request for Evidence and pause your case.

Conditional Two-Year Cards Are Different

Not all expired cards are treated the same. If you received permanent residence through marriage and your card carries a two-year expiration, you are a conditional permanent resident, and different rules apply. Conditional residents generally must have Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, approved before USCIS will approve a naturalization application.⁷

If Form I-751 is already pending when you file the N-400, USCIS will adjudicate the I-751 either before or at the same time as your naturalization application. A conditional resident with an expired two-year card cannot simply file the N-400 and ignore the I-751. Both need to be in the pipeline. USCIS will not administer the oath while conditions on your residence remain unresolved.

Traveling Abroad While Your N-400 Is Pending

You can travel internationally during the naturalization process. Carry your expired green card together with the original I-797 receipt notice showing the 24-month extension. That combination is your proof of continued permanent resident status for airline boarding and for re-entry at the U.S. border.

Be prepared for the possibility of secondary inspection when you return. Customs and Border Protection officers may want to verify your status in the system before admitting you. This is routine. If your extension period is close to expiring, or if you have concerns about re-entry, visiting a local USCIS field office to get an I-551 stamp in your passport before you travel provides an extra layer of documentation.

Travel also has consequences beyond documentation. Any single trip outside the United States lasting more than six months but less than one year creates a legal presumption that you broke your continuous residence, and a trip lasting one year or more definitively breaks it.⁸ The six-month presumption can be overcome with evidence showing you did not actually relocate: proof that your immediate family stayed in the U.S., that you kept your job here, that you maintained a home or lease. Keep boarding passes, airline receipts, and passport stamps so you can document exact dates if questioned at the interview.

Employment Verification With an Expired Card

Employers must accept your expired green card plus the I-797 receipt notice as a valid List A document for Form I-9 employment verification, as long as the 24-month extension period has not passed.⁹ If a human resources office is unfamiliar with this policy, point them to the text on the I-797 notice itself, which spells out the extension.

Filing Fees

The N-400 filing fee is $710 online and $760 on paper. Both amounts include biometric services; there is no separate biometrics fee.¹⁰ Online filers can also track case status, respond to evidence requests, and see processing time estimates through their USCIS account.

If your household income falls between 150% and 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, you can request a reduced filing fee of $380 by submitting Form I-942 with your application.¹¹ If your household income is at or below 150% of the guidelines, you may qualify for a complete fee waiver using Form I-912.¹² Both the reduced fee and the waiver require paper filing; online submission is not available in those cases.

How to File

You can submit your N-400 online through a USCIS account or mail a paper form to a designated Lockbox facility. The correct mailing address depends on where you live, so check the USCIS Direct Filing Addresses page before sending anything.¹ Whichever route you choose, the I-797 receipt that follows is what carries your expired card the rest of the way to your oath ceremony.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-400, Application for Naturalization
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Extension of Permanent Resident Card for Naturalization Applicants
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Extends Green Card Validity Extension to 36 Months for Green Card Renewals
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. A-Number/Alien Registration Number/Alien Number
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Conditional Permanent Resident Spouses and Naturalization
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 3 – Continuous Residence
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Updates Policy to Automatically Extend Green Cards for Naturalization Applicants
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Fact Sheet – Form N-400 Application for Naturalization Filing Fees
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Additional Information on Filing a Reduced Fee Request
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Poverty Guidelines