To renew a green card with Form I-90, file the Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card with USCIS up to six months before your card expires. Filing online costs $415; filing on paper costs $465. There is no separate biometrics fee. Once USCIS accepts your application, it mails a receipt notice (Form I-797C) that automatically extends your expired or expiring card for 36 months, so you keep valid proof of status while your new card is produced.
When to File
A standard green card is valid for ten years. File Form I-90 if your card has already expired or will expire within the next six months. The same form covers a card that was lost, stolen, or damaged to the point of being unreadable, and it covers cards with incorrect information, whether because of a USCIS error or a personal change like a legal name change after marriage or a court order.
One important boundary: Form I-90 is not for conditional residents who hold two-year green cards issued through a recent marriage. Conditional residents file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, instead.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Removing Conditions on Permanent Residence Based on Marriage
What It Costs, and When It’s Free
Online filing is $415 and paper filing is $465.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule Biometrics are included. Online, you can pay by credit card, debit card, or bank withdrawal. Paper filings accept a personal check, cashier’s check, or money order payable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Some applicants pay nothing. If USCIS issued your card with incorrect information because of its own error, or if your card was returned to USCIS as undeliverable and you never received it, the fee is waived entirely.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Immigration Documents and How to Correct, Update, or Replace Them
If you can’t afford the fee, you can request a fee waiver by filing Form I-912. You qualify if you receive a means-tested benefit such as Medicaid, SNAP, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or Supplemental Security Income, or if your household income is at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver Fee waiver applicants must file the paper version of Form I-90 by mail; online filing is not available with a fee waiver.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Electronic Filing of Form I-90
Online or by Mail
Most applicants can choose either method. Online filing through uscis.gov gives you an instant confirmation and an account to track the case. Certain situations require paper filing to a designated USCIS Lockbox, including fee waiver requests, cards that were never received, cards containing a USCIS error, and applicants nearing their 14th birthday whose card won’t expire before they turn 16.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Electronic Filing of Form I-90
What Goes on the Form
You’ll enter your Alien Registration Number (the seven- to nine-digit number on the front of your card), your full legal name as it appears on official records, your current residential address, and standard biographical details like date of birth and country of birth. The form also asks for physical characteristics such as height, weight, eye color, and hair color, which feed the biometric record.
Pick the filing reason code that matches your situation, such as expiring card or lost card. The form asks where and when you were originally admitted as a permanent resident; check those fields carefully, because inaccurate answers can delay the case or lead to a denial. Sign before you submit. USCIS rejects unsigned applications outright.
Documents to Include
Attach a clear photocopy of your current or expired green card. If the card was lost or stolen, submit a copy of a government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport. For a name change, include the marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order. Any document in a language other than English needs a certified English translation with a translator’s statement confirming that it is complete and accurate.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card
If you’re a commuter resident who lives in Canada or Mexico and works in the United States, include proof of employment from within the last six months, such as recent pay stubs or an employer letter on company letterhead, and identify the U.S. port of entry you use. USCIS sends the new card to that port for pickup rather than to a foreign address.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card
After You File
USCIS mails Form I-797C, Notice of Action, once it accepts your submission. This receipt confirms the case is pending.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797C, Notice of Action It also automatically extends the validity of your expiring or expired green card for 36 months from the expiration date printed on the card.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Extends Validity of Expired Permanent Resident Cards from 24 Months to 36 Months for Renewals During that window, the expired card together with the receipt notice serves as valid proof of permanent resident status for employment verification, travel, and other purposes.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 7.1 Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR)
USCIS will then schedule you for a biometrics appointment at a local Application Support Center. Staff capture fingerprints, a photograph, and your signature, all of which appear on your new card and support a background check. Bring the appointment notice and a valid photo ID.
Updating Your Address While the Case Is Pending
If you move during the wait, federal law gives you 10 days to notify USCIS. A change of address with the U.S. Postal Service does not satisfy this obligation.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. How to Change Your Address The easiest route is your USCIS online account, using your pending case receipt number. You can also mail a paper Form AR-11. Skipping this step is a common cause of a new card being sent to the wrong address.
If the 36-Month Extension Runs Out
If your application is still pending after the automatic extension expires, USCIS can issue an ADIT stamp (also called an I-551 stamp) as temporary proof of your status. Request one by calling the USCIS Contact Center.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Announces Additional Mail Delivery Process for Receiving ADIT Stamp
An immigration services officer verifies your identity and address. If no in-person visit is needed, your local field office mails a Form I-94 with the ADIT stamp, a DHS seal, and a printed photo, valid for up to one year. Some applicants still have to appear in person, particularly those with urgent travel needs or no photo on file with USCIS.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Announces Additional Mail Delivery Process for Receiving ADIT Stamp
Traveling Abroad While You Wait
If your card has expired but you’ve filed Form I-90, you can generally travel and return by presenting the expired 10-year card. A two-year card paired with a valid I-797 extension notice also works for re-entry.12U.S. Embassy in The Bahamas. Returning Resident – Lost, Stolen, or Expired Green Card
If your card is lost or stolen while you’re abroad and you’ve been outside the United States for less than a year, contact a U.S. embassy or consulate to request a boarding foil by filing Form I-131A; the fee is $575. If you’ve been outside more than a year, the green card is generally no longer valid for re-entry, and you may need a Returning Resident (SB-1) visa.12U.S. Embassy in The Bahamas. Returning Resident – Lost, Stolen, or Expired Green Card
Asking USCIS to Speed Things Up
USCIS does not guarantee a specific processing time, and wait times vary. In urgent situations you can submit an expedite request, which USCIS decides case by case. Recognized grounds include severe financial loss, emergencies or urgent humanitarian situations such as serious illness, disability, or extreme living conditions, and clear USCIS errors. The urgency cannot be the result of your own failure to file on time.13U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 5 – Expedite Requests
If Your Application Is Denied
USCIS may deny an I-90 if it finds grounds that affect your eligibility for permanent resident status, such as certain criminal convictions, extended absences suggesting abandonment of residency, or fraud in your original immigration application. A denial of the renewal does not automatically revoke your underlying status, but it leaves you without a valid card.
You can file Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion, asking USCIS to reopen or reconsider. The deadline is 30 days from the decision, or 33 days if the decision was mailed.14U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 4 – Motions to Reopen and Reconsider A motion to reopen requires new facts or evidence that wasn’t available before. A motion to reconsider argues that USCIS misapplied the law or policy based on the existing record. Given the short deadline, talking to an immigration attorney quickly is a good idea.
Why Not to Let It Lapse
Federal law requires every permanent resident age 18 or older to carry their green card at all times.15U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Alien Registration Requirement Failure to do so is a federal misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $100 and up to 30 days in jail per offense.16Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1304 – Forms for Registration and Fingerprinting The full penalty is rarely imposed, but carrying an expired card or none at all can complicate encounters with immigration authorities. Filing Form I-90 promptly when the card expires or goes missing keeps you in compliance.