Status as of October 26, 2026. If your ordinary 10-year Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551) is expired or expires within six months, you can generally renew the card with USCIS Form I-90. A proper I-90 renewal filing can provide a receipt notice extending evidence of card validity for 36 months from the expiration date printed on the card. A two-year conditional green card follows a different procedure: I-751 or I-829, not I-90 renewal. An expired card does not, by itself, end lawful permanent resident status.
A green card is evidence of permanent residence; it is not the same thing as the status itself. A permanent resident may need current documentation for a job, travel or identification even when the underlying status continues. USCIS explains the distinction in its Replace Your Green Card guidance. The broader rights and responsibilities of residents are covered in the FACTUM green-card guide.
Which form should you file?
Your situation | Usual next step |
|---|---|
10-year card expired or expires within six months | File Form I-90 to renew it. |
10-year card lost, stolen, damaged, or needs correction | Use Form I-90 with the reason and evidence matching your situation. |
Two-year conditional residence based on marriage is nearing expiration | Generally file Form I-751 during the 90-day period before conditional status expires. |
Two-year conditional residence based on qualifying investment is nearing expiration | Generally file Form I-829 under the applicable removal-of-conditions rules. |
Green card never delivered or contains an error made by DHS | Check I-90's specific filing reason and fee exception; the application may be fee-exempt if the conditions are met. |
Important: A conditional resident may use I-90 to replace a lost or damaged still-valid two-year card in certain circumstances; that does not replace the requirement to remove conditions. USCIS generally prohibits using I-90 to replace a conditional card that has expired or will expire within 90 days. These cases require special attention to the correct petition and deadline.
How to file Form I-90
Go to the official USCIS I-90 page and read its current edition, filing options and supporting-document instructions. Do not use paid look-alike government websites.
Select the actual reason for applying: renewal, loss/theft, damaged card, legal name change, DHS error or another USCIS-listed reason. Required documents and fees vary.
For an eligible filing, submit I-90 online through your USCIS account or on paper. An eligible request for a fee waiver generally requires a paper filing; check the current USCIS fee schedule and waiver rules first.
Keep your Form I-797 receipt notice and the card if you have it. Follow any biometrics or evidence requests and use the receipt number to track the case on the official USCIS site.
If you move while the case is pending, update your mailing address through USCIS promptly. Do not assume a postal forwarding service updates your USCIS record.
There is not one permanent I-90 price for every case. Some reasons qualify for no filing fee; others do not. Confirm the current amount and payment method with USCIS Form G-1055 or the USCIS Fee Calculator immediately before filing. Do not copy an old fee from an article or an unverified commercial form provider.
Does an I-90 receipt extend your green card for 36 months?
Yes, for qualifying 10-year card renewal filings. USCIS announced the 36-month extension effective September 10, 2024, replacing the prior 24-month wording. The extension runs from the expiration date on the face of the current card, not from the date you mailed I-90 or received Form I-797. USCIS began issuing updated receipt notices for pending renewal applications. The official September 2024 USCIS announcement describes the rule.
To document continued status and employment authorization, the resident typically presents the expired green card together with the qualifying I-797 renewal receipt. USCIS has also explained how this combination can operate as a List A document for Form I-9 employment verification. The USCIS E-Verify employer bulletin provides those details. Do not assume every I-90 receipt – especially for replacing a lost card – automatically proves a 36-month extension. Read the language on the notice you actually received.
What if the card is lost or you need proof right away?
If your card was lost, stolen or destroyed, an I-90 filing may be needed, but you cannot show an expired card alongside the receipt if you no longer possess the card. A permanent resident who needs evidence for work or travel can request temporary proof of status, commonly called an ADIT stamp or temporary I-551 evidence.
USCIS may arrange temporary proof through an appointment or, in suitable cases, mail Form I-94 bearing an ADIT stamp and a photo instead of requiring an office visit. Eligibility and validity are determined by USCIS; the evidence is not issued automatically just because an I-90 was filed. See the USCIS ADIT mail-delivery policy, USCIS appointment-request page and Contact Center. If you are outside the United States without suitable evidence, boarding and reentry raise separate questions: do not assume a printout of your pending case will be accepted by an airline.
What if you have a two-year conditional green card?
A two-year conditional card is not renewed through I-90 when the condition-removal deadline approaches. Most marriage-based conditional residents submit I-751 during the 90 days before the second anniversary of obtaining conditional residence; qualifying investor cases use I-829 under their own rules. Properly filed removal-of-conditions petitions have their own temporary evidence and extension procedures. Do not treat the I-90 36-month renewal notice as the conditional-resident rule. Check USCIS I-751 or USCIS I-829 if your card says it expires after two years.
What if you have already filed for citizenship?
Some applicants with a pending N-400 do not need an additional I-90 merely because their 10-year card is expiring. USCIS provides a separate 24-month extension of the card's validity through qualifying N-400 receipt notices filed under its applicable policy, when presented with the expired card. That is a different extension from the I-90 36-month receipt and depends on the notice and filing circumstances. See the USCIS naturalization evidence policy and Form N-400 page.
Is your A-Number the same as your green card number?
No. Your A-Number (often shown as USCIS Number) identifies your immigration record. The card or document number, commonly printed on the back of newer cards, identifies the physical document and should not automatically be substituted for your A-Number or for the receipt number of a new I-90 application. On an I-797, a USCIS receipt number usually begins with three letters followed by numbers. Enter the exact identifier requested by the official form or service. Do not send copies or numbers from your green card to FACTUM Immigration.
Frequently asked questions
Does an expired 10-year green card mean I am no longer a permanent resident?
Not by itself. The card is evidence of status, not its source. Permanent resident status can be lost for other legal reasons, such as a final removal order or abandonment, but expiration of the document alone does not end it.
Can I use Form I-90 to replace a lost conditional card?
Sometimes, while the conditional card remains valid. An I-90 replacement does not extend or remove the conditions. If the conditional card has expired or is within 90 days of expiration, follow USCIS's I-751 or I-829 instructions instead.
Is the 36-month extension measured from the day I file I-90?
No. For eligible renewal notices it is measured from the expiration date printed on the existing card. Read your own Form I-797 and carry it with the card where required.
Where do I check the current fee and processing time?
Use the USCIS fee schedule for fees and USCIS I-90 instructions for filing requirements; the current wait varies and is not a promised completion date.