Green Card Extension Sticker: Booking, Travel, and Job Use

If your green card is lost, stolen, or expired and you need proof of permanent resident status now, you can get a green card extension stamp — formally the I-551 or ADIT stamp — placed in your passport at a USCIS field office. The stamp is valid for up to one year, works for both employment verification and international travel, and you request it either through myUSCIS or by calling the USCIS Contact Center. In some cases USCIS will mail it to you instead of requiring a visit.

What the Stamp Is and How Long It Lasts

The I-551 stamp is temporary evidence of lawful permanent residence.¹ A USCIS officer places it directly into your valid, unexpired passport. If you don’t have a passport, USCIS can put it on a Form I-94 instead, with a printed photo and a DHS seal.

USCIS decides how long each stamp remains valid, but the maximum is one year unless a regulation or policy says otherwise.² The expiration date is printed on the stamp, so you’ll know exactly when it stops working.

Do You Actually Need the Stamp?

Before you request an appointment, check whether you need one. When you file Form I-90 to renew your green card, USCIS issues a Form I-797 receipt notice that automatically extends your card’s validity for 36 months from the expiration date printed on the card.³ You carry the I-797 together with your expired card, and that combination counts as evidence of continued status and work authorization.⁴

For domestic employment and most day-to-day needs, that’s usually enough. You need the stamp when the I-797 combination won’t work:

International travel. Airlines and foreign border authorities often refuse a paper receipt notice. A stamp in your passport is recognized as proof of your right to re-enter the United States.
Lost or stolen green card. Without the physical card to pair with the I-797, you need standalone proof of status.
State agencies or benefits programs that won’t accept the I-797 notice.
An I-90 that has been pending long enough that the 36-month extension is close to running out.

How to Request the Appointment

There are two ways to ask for a stamp.

Online Through myUSCIS

The faster route for most people is the online appointment request form. Go to the USCIS appointment page and choose “ADIT Stamp” from the list of services.⁵ You fill out a short form explaining your situation, and USCIS schedules you at your nearest field office. Individuals, attorneys, and accredited representatives can all use it.⁶

By Phone

You can also call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283, or 800-767-1833 for TDD. A representative will review your case, confirm you need a stamp, and either schedule you for an in-person visit or, if you qualify, ask the field office to mail the stamp to you.²

What to Bring to the Field Office

Come prepared. Bring:

Your valid, unexpired passport, where the stamp will go.
Your expired green card if you still have it. If it was lost or stolen, be ready to explain.
Your Form I-797 receipt notice confirming the pending I-90.
The appointment confirmation notice or email from USCIS.
Evidence of urgency if you have any: a travel itinerary, a letter from an employer needing verification.

If the officer approves the request, the stamp goes into your passport at that same visit. There is no separate USCIS filing fee for the stamp.

Getting the Stamp by Mail

Not everyone needs to appear in person. When you call the Contact Center, the officer will verify your identity, confirm your physical mailing address, and check whether that address can receive UPS or FedEx express delivery.² If everything checks out and an in-person visit isn’t required, the field office mails you a Form I-94 with the stamp, a DHS seal, and a printed photo pulled from USCIS records.

You still need to go in person if:

You have an urgent need such as imminent travel.
USCIS doesn’t have a usable photo of you on file.
Your address or identity can’t be confirmed over the phone.

The mailed version comes on an I-94, not in your passport. That distinction affects how you use it, especially for employment verification.

If You Don’t Have a Valid Passport

USCIS can place the stamp on a Form I-94 when no foreign passport is available.¹ The I-94 version includes a printed photo affixed to the form at the top right corner.⁷

There’s a catch. On Form I-9, the I-94 with an ADIT stamp counts as a List A receipt, not a full List A document.⁸ Your employer must accept it initially, but you’ll need to present your actual green card once it arrives, or before the stamp expires, whichever comes first. The I-94 version also isn’t practical for international travel, since airlines still require a passport to board.

Using the Stamp for a Job

A foreign passport containing an unexpired I-551 stamp qualifies as a List A document on Form I-9, proving both identity and work authorization in one document.¹ Your employer cannot ask for additional documents once you present it, whether you’re starting a new job or reverifying at an existing one.

The I-94 version behaves differently. It’s a List A receipt, and you have to present your replacement green card before the stamp expires, or within one year of the admission date if no expiration is printed.⁸

Using the Stamp to Travel Abroad

A stamp in your passport is the cleanest way to travel while you wait for a new card. It shows border officers at your destination, and again at U.S. entry, that you’re a permanent resident. Foreign airlines that would refuse to board you with only an I-797 receipt will accept a stamped passport.

Watch the expiration date. Make sure your return date falls before the stamp expires. Arriving at a U.S. port of entry with an expired stamp can create delays even though your underlying permanent resident status hasn’t changed.

The I-94 version isn’t useful for international travel. You need a passport to leave and return, and the I-94 alone won’t satisfy airline requirements or CBP officers the way a stamped passport does.

What to Do If the Stamp Expires Before Your Card Arrives

If your replacement green card still hasn’t come by the time the stamp runs out, request a new one the same way. Go back to myUSCIS or call the Contact Center, explain that the previous stamp has expired and your I-90 is still pending, and USCIS will schedule another appointment or arrange a mailed replacement. There’s no limit on how many times you can renew the stamp while your application is pending.

Start the renewal a few weeks before your current stamp expires so you don’t end up with a gap. Appointment availability varies by field office, and some locations book out several weeks ahead.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 13.1 List A Documents That Establish Identity and Employment Authorization
2
USCIS. USCIS Announces Additional Mail Delivery Process for Receiving ADIT Stamp
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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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E-Verify. USCIS Extends Validity of Expired Permanent Resident Cards from 24 Months to 36 Months for Renewals
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. MyUSCIS Appointment Scheduling
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Launches Online Appointment Request Form
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Temporary Status Documentation for Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR)
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 7.1 Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR)