What Happens If You Lose Your Green Card: Form I-90 and ADIT Stamp

Losing your green card does not end your permanent resident status, but federal law still requires you to carry the physical card, so you need to replace it quickly. The fix is Form I-90, the Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for $415 online or $465 by mail as of 2026. While your replacement is being processed, you can get temporary proof of status through an ADIT stamp placed in your passport. Acting fast matters, because the gap between losing the card and receiving a new one can complicate work, travel, and everyday dealings with government agencies.

Your Status Is Safe, but the Card Is Still Required

The card and the status it represents are two separate things. A lost card does not cancel your right to live and work in the United States. That said, 8 U.S.C. § 1304(e) requires every permanent resident 18 or older to carry their registration document at all times. Violating that requirement is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $100 or up to 30 days in jail.¹

Enforcement against someone who has already filed for a replacement is rare in practice. But until the new card arrives, you are technically out of compliance, which is one more reason not to delay.

How a Missing Card Affects Work and Travel

Two areas cause the most immediate trouble: employment verification and international travel.

Employers verify every new hire’s identity and work authorization on Form I-9. A green card is a List A document, meaning it satisfies both the identity and employment-authorization requirements at once.² Without it, you can still prove eligibility by combining a List B identity document (such as a driver’s license) with a List C work-authorization document (such as an unrestricted Social Security card). That workaround covers most situations, though some employers get uneasy when the green card itself is missing.

International travel is harder to work around. Customs and Border Protection requires permanent residents to present a valid green card or a reentry permit when returning to the United States.³ Without either document, you face secondary inspection, long delays, or the need to apply for emergency carrier documentation from a U.S. consulate abroad. If you know your card is lost, avoid international travel until you have a replacement or temporary proof of status in hand.

Filing Form I-90 To Replace the Card

Form I-90 is the standard filing for a lost, stolen, or destroyed card. You can submit it online through a USCIS account or mail a paper version.⁴ Online filing is cheaper, faster to submit, and lets you track the case from your account, so it is the better route for most people.

Before you start, gather these details:

Your Alien Registration Number (A-Number), a unique seven-, eight-, or nine-digit number assigned by the Department of Homeland Security. It appears on prior immigration documents, old approval notices, and your Social Security records.⁵
Your date of admission as a permanent resident.
A valid government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license, passport, or military ID showing your name, date of birth, photo, and signature.⁶
Biographical details (height, weight, hair color, eye color) matching existing records.
Name-change proof, such as a marriage certificate or court order, if your current legal name differs from the one on the lost card.

On the form itself, choose the reason that matches your situation (lost, stolen, or destroyed). USCIS uses this selection to determine what supporting evidence you need to include.

Fees and Waivers

As of 2026, the filing fees for Form I-90 are $415 online and $465 by mail. Both amounts already include biometric services, so there is no separate biometric charge.⁷

If USCIS made an error on your previous card, or if a card that was mailed to you never arrived, the fee drops to $0. Fee waivers are also available for applicants whose household income is at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. For a single-person household in 2026, that threshold is $23,940; for a family of four, it is $49,500.⁸ To request a waiver, file Form I-912 with your I-90 and include documentation of your income or benefits. Fee-waiver requests cannot be filed online, so you must submit a paper I-90 if you want a waiver.

What Happens After You File

Receipt Notice and Biometrics

Once USCIS accepts your filing, you will receive a receipt notice (Form I-797C) with a 13-character case number. Keep this notice safe. It is your proof that a replacement is in progress, and you will need the receipt number to check status or request temporary proof.⁹

USCIS will then schedule a biometrics appointment at a nearby Application Support Center to collect fingerprints, a photograph, and a digital signature.¹⁰ Missing this appointment without rescheduling can lead to denial, so treat the date as fixed.

Temporary Proof of Status: The ADIT Stamp

Processing a replacement card takes several months, and during that window you have no physical card to show. If you need proof of status for a job, a benefits application, or travel, request an ADIT stamp (also called an I-551 stamp). USCIS places the stamp directly in your passport, and it serves as temporary evidence of permanent residence for up to one year.¹¹

To get the stamp, call the USCIS Contact Center. An officer will verify your identity and either schedule an in-person appointment at a field office or arrange to mail the stamp to you. Applicants with urgent needs, such as an imminent job start date or booked travel, are generally prioritized for in-person appointments.

Tracking Your Case

Check your case status any time using the USCIS Case Status Online tool at uscis.gov. Enter your 13-character receipt number (three letters followed by ten digits, no dashes) to see the last action taken.⁹ If you filed online, your USCIS account shows more detailed history than the public lookup.

If Your Card Was Stolen

A stolen card carries risks beyond the inconvenience of replacement. It contains your full name, date of birth, A-Number, and photo, which is enough for someone to attempt identity fraud. File a police report as soon as you realize the card is gone. USCIS does not explicitly require the report, but having one on file documents the theft and can support your I-90.

Consider placing a fraud alert on your credit file through one of the three major credit bureaus; the bureau you contact is required to notify the other two. If you believe someone is actively using your information, report identity theft at identitytheft.gov and request a credit freeze. These steps cost nothing and can prevent damage that is far harder to undo than replacing the card itself.

Conditional Permanent Residents

If you have a two-year conditional green card from marriage, the process to replace a lost card is the same: file Form I-90.¹² The trap for conditional residents is confusing replacement with removal of conditions. Those are two different filings:

For a lost or stolen card, file Form I-90 to get a new card with the same expiration date.
For an expiring conditional card, file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, within the 90-day window before the card expires. Missing this deadline can terminate your status.¹³

Losing the physical card does not change or extend the I-751 filing deadline. That deadline is tied to the expiration date printed on the card, whether you still have the card or not. If your conditional card is both lost and close to expiring, you may need to file both forms: the I-751 to preserve your status and the I-90 to get a physical replacement.

Losing Your Card Outside the United States

Losing your green card while traveling abroad creates a different problem. You need documentation just to board a flight home. Instead of Form I-90, start with Form I-131A, the Application for Travel Document (Carrier Documentation), filed in person at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.¹⁴

Pay the I-131A filing fee online through the USCIS payment system first, and bring proof of payment to your consular appointment.¹⁵
Appear at the consulate with whatever identification you have: a passport, a foreign national ID, copies of immigration documents. Staff will verify your identity and permanent resident status.
If approved, you receive a boarding foil in your passport (or a boarding letter) that lets the airline board you on a U.S.-bound flight. The foil is typically valid for 30 days.¹⁵

The I-131A fee is separate from the I-90 fee, and fee waivers are not available for this form.¹⁴ Check the current amount on the USCIS fee schedule (Form G-1055) before paying. Once you are back in the United States, file Form I-90 for a permanent replacement. The boarding foil is only a way home.

If the Replacement Card Never Arrives

USCIS mails new green cards to the address on file. If your case status shows the card was mailed but nothing arrives, wait at least 90 days after the approval notice before filing an inquiry. Use the USPS tracking number in your case status to check delivery details first.¹⁶

If the card is genuinely missing, submit a non-delivery inquiry through the USCIS e-Request tool. You will need your receipt number, A-Number, filing date, and email address. If USCIS confirms the card was lost in transit, a replacement can be issued at no additional filing fee.

Update Your Social Security Record

Once your new card arrives, check whether the card number has changed (it usually does). If so, update your records with the Social Security Administration by requesting a replacement Social Security card and bringing proof of your current immigration status to the appointment.¹⁷ Keeping SSA’s records current helps avoid problems with employment verification, benefit eligibility, and tax reporting later on.

1
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1304 – Forms for Registration and Fingerprinting
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-9 Acceptable Documents
3
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Traveling Outside U.S. – Documents Needed for Lawful Permanent Residents
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card
5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. A-Number / Alien Registration Number / Alien Number
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-90 Instructions for Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Poverty Guidelines
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Checking Your Case Status Online
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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. USCIS Announces Additional Mail Delivery Process for Receiving ADIT Stamp
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Replace Your Green Card
13
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Removing Conditions on Permanent Residence Based on Marriage
14
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application for Carrier Documentation
15
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-131A Instructions for Application for Carrier Documentation
16
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. e-Request – Non-Delivery of Card
17
Social Security Administration. Update Citizenship or Immigration Status