To renew a Green Card with Form I-90, file the Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card either through your USCIS online account for $415 or by mail for $465, attach a copy of your current card and the evidence tied to your filing reason, and wait for the receipt notice that automatically extends your card’s validity for 36 months. Most lawful permanent residents can file up to six months before their card expires, and the same form covers cards that are lost, stolen, damaged, or issued with incorrect information.
Who Files Form I-90
Form I-90 is the right form if you hold a 10-year Green Card that has expired, will expire within six months, or is no longer usable. Under 8 CFR 264.5, you file it when your card is lost, stolen, destroyed, or mutilated; when USCIS printed incorrect information on it; when you have legally changed your name; when you received the card before age 14 and it will not expire before you turn 16; when your commuter status changes; when your status was automatically converted to permanent residence; when the card was issued but never delivered; or when you still carry an older version like Form AR-3, AR-103, or I-151.1eCFR. 8 CFR 264.5 – Application for a Replacement Permanent Resident Card
If you turn 14 but your current card will expire before your 16th birthday, you don’t have to file early. The normal expiration will trigger the replacement.
Conditional Residents Should Not File Form I-90
A two-year Green Card issued through marriage or investment is conditional, not permanent, and it cannot be renewed with Form I-90. Marriage-based conditional residents file Form I-751 within the 90-day window before the card expires, and entrepreneurs file Form I-829. Filing the wrong form can lead to removal proceedings, so check the validity period on your card first: two years means conditional.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Conditional Permanent Residence
What It Costs
USCIS charges $415 to file Form I-90 online and $465 to file by mail. There is no separate biometrics fee; fingerprinting and photographs at your appointment are covered by the filing fee.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule
The fee is $0 in three situations: USCIS printed incorrect information because of a DHS error, USCIS issued a card that was returned as undeliverable and you never received it, or you turned 14 and your existing card will expire after your 16th birthday.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule
If paying the fee would be a hardship, you can request a waiver with Form I-912. You qualify if you or a family member receives a means-tested public benefit (Medicare, unemployment, and Social Security do not count), your household income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines, or you can document a financial hardship such as a medical emergency, homelessness, or job loss. Fee waiver requests must be filed by mail. You cannot ask for a waiver through the online system.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Request for Fee Waiver
Online filers pay by credit or debit card. Paper filers can send a personal check, cashier’s check, or money order made payable to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security.” The wrong amount will get your application rejected.
What to Submit With the Form
Your supporting documents depend on why you are filing:
- Expired or expiring card: a copy of the front and back of your current card.
- Lost, stolen, or destroyed card: a copy of the card if you have one; otherwise a government-issued photo ID with your name, date of birth, photograph, and signature, such as a passport or driver’s license.
- Card never received: a copy of the most recent Form I-797 Notice of Action from the underlying application (for example, your I-485), or a copy of the passport page showing your I-551 stamp if you were admitted as an immigrant, plus a government-issued photo ID.
- Mutilated card: a copy of the damaged card, or a government-issued photo ID if the card is too deteriorated to copy.
- DHS error: the original card with the incorrect data (not a copy), plus proof of the correct information such as a birth certificate, passport, or marriage certificate.
- Legal name or biographic change: the legal document showing the change, such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree, adoption decree, or court order.
Any document not in English needs a certified English translation covering the entire document, with a signed statement from the translator confirming that the translation is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent in both languages.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 4 – Documentation
Paper filers include two identical passport-style color photographs. Online filers upload a digital image that meets the same specifications.
Filing Online or by Mail
Most applicants file online. Create a USCIS online account at uscis.gov, work through the form section by section, upload your documents and photo, and pay by card. You’ll get same-day confirmation that USCIS received the filing. Online is unavailable if you are requesting a fee waiver.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)
If you file on paper, mail the form, evidence, photos, and payment to the correct USCIS lockbox. The address is different for U.S. Postal Service versus a private courier like FedEx or UPS, and lockbox addresses change, so check the current filing instructions on the USCIS website before you send anything. After a paper filing, USCIS scans your documents, creates an online account for you, and sends an Account Acceptance Notice with login instructions.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)
What Happens After You File
USCIS mails Form I-797C, a Notice of Action, as your receipt. Since September 10, 2024, that notice automatically extends your Green Card’s validity for 36 months beyond the expiration date printed on the card. Carry the receipt notice together with your expired card as evidence of permanent resident status and work authorization. Employers, airlines, and government agencies accept the pair.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Extends Green Card Validity Extension to 36 Months for Green Card Renewals
USCIS will also schedule a biometrics appointment at a local Application Support Center. Your I-797C notice includes the date, time, and location. Staff take your fingerprints, photograph, and digital signature. Arrive about 15 minutes early for security, and leave sharp objects, nail clippers, and aerosol sprays at home; they are prohibited inside USCIS offices. If you miss the appointment, contact USCIS to reschedule right away, because a missed appointment can push your case back significantly.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797C, Notice of Action
Getting Temporary Proof of Status Sooner
If you need documentation before the new card arrives, for urgent travel or a new job, request an ADIT stamp (Alien Documentation, Identification, and Telecommunication) at a USCIS field office. The stamp goes into your passport and serves as temporary evidence of permanent residence, typically valid for one year. Without a passport, USCIS places the stamp on a Form I-94 and attaches your photo. Schedule the appointment through your online account or by calling the USCIS Contact Center. The appointment itself is free.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 13.1 List A Documents That Establish Identity and Employment Authorization
Requesting Expedited Processing
USCIS considers expedite requests case by case, and approval is discretionary. Qualifying circumstances include severe financial loss such as risk of losing a job, business contract, or critical public benefits; a humanitarian emergency like serious illness, disability, a family death, or a natural disaster or armed conflict; a clear USCIS error the agency acknowledges; or a government interest involving public safety or national security. Needing work authorization by itself is not enough, and USCIS will not grant an expedite when the urgency comes from your own delay in filing or responding to evidence requests.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Expedite Requests
Moving While Your Case Is Pending
Report any address change to USCIS within 10 days. The fastest method is your USCIS online account, which updates the address in the case system almost immediately. You can also file paper Form AR-11 by mail, but paper submissions do not always update USCIS case management systems, so your new card could still ship to the old address.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card
If Your Application Is Denied
Most denials come from administrative problems: a missing signature, incorrect fee, outdated form version, or failure to respond to a Request for Evidence by the deadline. More serious grounds include certain criminal convictions, long absences from the United States, or false information on the application.
There is no traditional appeal for a denied I-90. You can file Form I-290B as a motion to reopen or reconsider with the office that issued the denial, or you can file a new I-90 with the issues corrected. A motion to reopen requires new facts that were unavailable at the time of the decision; a motion to reconsider argues the office misapplied the law or policy. You generally have 30 days from the date of the denial to file the I-290B, or 33 days if the decision came by mail.13U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Notice of Appeal or Motion
A denial does not automatically end your permanent resident status, but USCIS can issue a Notice to Appear that starts removal proceedings if the review uncovers fraud or another basis for deportability. Talk to an immigration attorney before deciding your next step.
File Before the Card Expires
Federal law requires every permanent resident age 18 or older to carry their Green Card at all times. Failing to do so is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $100, imprisonment of up to 30 days, or both.14Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1304 – Forms for Registration and Fingerprinting
The bigger day-to-day risk is friction with employers, airlines, and benefits agencies. USCIS lets you file Form I-90 up to six months before the card expires, and doing so keeps your documentation continuous while the new card is produced.