Receipt notice of Form I-90 will extend green card’s validity in US by 12 months

The lawful permanent residents with green cards are required to submit a Form I-90 when their permanent resident cards expire or are about to expire.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has replaced the sticker that extends the validity of the permanent resident card, also known as a green card, with a revised Form I-797 - Notice of Action. In the United States, the lawful permanent residents (LPRs) with green cards are required to submit a Form I-90 when their permanent resident cards expire or are about to expire. The revised Form I-797 will serve as a receipt notice for the Form I-90.

A Green Card, known officially as a Permanent Resident Card, is a document issued to immigrants to the US as evidence that the bearer has been granted the privilege of residing permanently. (Reuters)

The receipt notice will provide evidence of the lawful permanent resident status of the applicants for 12 months from the expiration date of the green card. This means an expired green card along with a receipt notice is equivalent to a valid, unexpired green card. The change has come into effect from January and applicants will receive the revised receipt notice, via mail, within approximately 10 days after USCIS accepts their Form I-90.

“This change ensures that LPRs with a recently expired Green Card will have documentation of identity, employment authorization, and authorization to return to the United States following temporary foreign travel,” the USCIS recently said in a statement.

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In case the USCIS has already accepted the application to renew the green card and the applicant has not been issued a biometrics appointment notice, the person would get the new receipt notice to use it along with the expired green card as temporary evidence of permanent resident status. If USCIS has issued the biometrics appointment notice, the person would get an extension sticker at his/her biometrics appointment instead of the revised receipt notice.

“As a lawful permanent resident, you must have a valid, unexpired Green Card or equivalent documentation with you at all times. Applying for naturalization does not change this requirement,” the USCIS website states.