How to Get a Copy of Your Green Card: Filing, Fees, and Timeline

To get a copy of your green card, file Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The fee is $415 if you file online or $465 by mail, and processing currently runs about 8 to 14 months. The same form covers cards that were lost, stolen, damaged, expired, or never delivered, with a few important exceptions covered below.¹

Reasons to File for a Replacement

USCIS lists several situations that call for a new card:²

The card has expired or will expire within the next six months.
It was lost, stolen, or destroyed.
It is damaged or mutilated to the point it can’t be used as identification.
Your legal name or other biographic data on the card has changed.
USCIS printed incorrect information on the card.
You were approved but the card never arrived.

If USCIS made the error or the postal service never delivered the card, you pay no filing fee. Every other reason requires the full fee.

If You Have a Conditional Two-Year Card

This is where people file the wrong form and create real problems. If you hold a two-year conditional green card and it is expiring, you do not file Form I-90. You file Form I-751 to remove the conditions and convert to permanent status. Filing I-90 in that situation is a common mistake that can trigger removal proceedings.²

The one time a conditional resident does use Form I-90 is when the two-year card was lost, stolen, or destroyed during the conditional period and you need a physical replacement. Expiration is I-751 territory; loss or damage is I-90 territory.

Once USCIS accepts an I-751, the receipt notice extends your status for 48 months beyond the card’s expiration date and you remain authorized to work and travel during that window.³

What to Gather Before You File

Form I-90 asks for your nine-digit A-Number (printed on your current or previous green card and other immigration documents), your full legal name, date of birth, current U.S. address, and the specific reason you need a replacement.¹

Supporting documents depend on why you’re filing:

For a standard replacement or renewal, a photocopy of your current or most recent green card (front and back) plus a government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license.
For a name change, a certified copy of the marriage certificate or court order. Certified copies from vital records offices or court clerks generally cost between $6 and $40.
If the card never arrived, any documentation showing your approval, such as a prior I-797 notice.

Any document not in English needs a certified English translation. The translator has to sign a statement that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate between the two languages. Partial or summarized translations aren’t accepted.

How to Submit the Application

You can file Form I-90 through a myUSCIS account online or mail a paper application to the designated USCIS lockbox. Online filing costs less, gives you immediate confirmation, and lets you upload documents digitally. One catch: fee waiver requests cannot be submitted online, so if you’re asking for a waiver you have to file by mail.¹

Once USCIS accepts the application, you get a Form I-797C, Notice of Action, which acts as your receipt and carries a case number you can use to track the case online.⁴ Most applicants then get a biometrics appointment notice for a local Application Support Center, where USCIS collects fingerprints, a photograph, and a digital signature.⁵ Bring the appointment notice and a valid photo ID. Skipping the appointment without rescheduling can delay or derail your case.

Filing Fees and Waivers

The filing fee is $415 online or $465 by mail. There’s no separate biometrics fee; USCIS folded that cost into the base filing fee under its 2024 fee rule.⁶ Payment is by credit card, debit card, check, or money order depending on how you file.

Two situations waive the fee entirely: the postal service never delivered your card, or USCIS printed incorrect information on it.

If you can’t afford the fee for any other reason, you can request a waiver with Form I-912, filed by mail. Eligibility generally requires household income at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines. For 2026 in the 48 contiguous states, that threshold is $23,940 for a single-person household, with $8,520 added for each additional household member; Alaska and Hawaii use higher thresholds.⁷

How Long It Takes

As of early 2026, Form I-90 takes roughly 8 to 14 months to process, depending on the type of application and USCIS workload. Straightforward replacements for lost or stolen cards tend to move faster, around 8 to 9 months for 80% of cases. Ten-year renewals run closer to 11 months. Cases that need additional review or extended background checks can stretch past a year.

Proof of Status While You Wait

Long processing times only matter if you can’t prove your status in the meantime. There are two main tools.

If you filed to renew an expiring card, your I-797C receipt notice combined with your expired green card extends your proof of lawful permanent resident status for 36 months beyond the printed expiration date. During that window you remain authorized to work and travel.²

If your card was lost or stolen, you don’t have an expired card to pair with the receipt. In that case you can request an ADIT stamp (also called an I-551 stamp) from USCIS. USCIS has discretion over the validity period, up to one year.⁸ If you have a valid foreign passport, the stamp goes into it. If not, USCIS can place the stamp on a Form I-94 with a photograph attached. Either version works as temporary proof for employment, travel, and benefits.

For employment, a foreign passport with a temporary I-551 stamp counts as a List A document on Form I-9, meeting both the identity and work authorization requirements on its own. Employers do have to reverify when the stamp expires.⁹

Some USCIS field offices now mail ADIT stamps rather than requiring an in-person visit. Check your myUSCIS account or contact your local field office to see what’s available.¹⁰

If You Lost Your Card Outside the United States

Losing your green card abroad is more urgent because airlines can refuse to board you without proper documents. The fix is Form I-131A, Application for Carrier Documentation, filed in person at the Consular Section of the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. You pay the fee through the USCIS online payment system before your appointment and bring proof of payment. Fee waivers aren’t available for this form.¹¹

Bring to the consular appointment:

Your original passport and a copy of the biographic page.
Evidence of permanent resident status (old green card copies, approval notices, prior I-797 receipts).
Copies of your travel itinerary showing when you left the U.S. and when you plan to return.
One passport-style photograph taken within 30 days of filing.

This route only works for temporary trips abroad of less than one year. USCIS measures your absence from the date you left the U.S. to the date you pay the I-131A fee. If you’ve been gone longer than a year or have abandoned permanent resident status, I-131A won’t help, and reestablishing status becomes a more complex process. And once you’re back in the U.S., you still need to file Form I-90 for a physical replacement card.¹¹

If Your Naturalization Application Is Pending

If you’ve already filed Form N-400 for naturalization, don’t file Form I-90 to renew an expiring green card. USCIS automatically extends an expired green card for 24 months when an N-400 is pending, and your N-400 receipt paired with the expired card serves as proof of status and work authorization during that time. Filing I-90 on top of a pending N-400 wastes the filing fee, because approval gives you a certificate of naturalization rather than a new green card.

1
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. Replace Your Green Card
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Extends Green Card Validity for Conditional Permanent Residents With a Pending Form I-751 or Form I-829
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797C, Notice of Action
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Preparing for Your Biometric Services Appointment
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Frequently Asked Questions on the USCIS Fee Rule
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Poverty Guidelines
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Announces Additional Mail Delivery Process for Receiving ADIT Stamp
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-9 Acceptable Documents
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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. I-131A, Application for Carrier Documentation