Your Green Card is one of the important documents that must remain valid at all time. You are required to renew your Green Card every 10 years. You should begin your green card renewal application process 6 months before the date of expiration to prevent any form of delay. This will also save you from a lot of problems like making international trips, not being eligible for employment and many more.
You may need to apply for a Green Card renewal if your Green Card will expire in the next 6 months or if you are a holder of a permanent resident card that has no expiration date or if your card got damaged, stolen or lost. There are several other reasons, but the aforementioned are a few of them.
To begin the process of your green card renewal application, you are required to submit an application form I-90 online. The form I-90 can either be filed online or by mail. It contains instructions on filing which are to be strictly adhered to. Any form of mistake may lead to denial. On the form, 17 reasons why you may be applying for green card renewal are stated, ensure to select the correct reason for your application. The reason for your application will determine the documents you need to put up for submission.
Green Card renewal form costs $455 plus an additional $85 for biometrics making a total charge of $540. Applicants are to pay this fee before document submission to the USCIS. Payments can be made through a valid MasterCard, Visa, Discover card, American Express or through check or money order for applicants who do not want to go with online payment. USCIS issues a receipt to applicants as a proof of payment.
You are required to provide a duplicate of your current green card. When filling your application, ensure that you append your signature just according to the instructions provided on your form I-90. One of the reasons why USCIS may reject your application is the failure to append your signature.
After proper application procedure, you will be alerted by USCIS with an acceptance receipt. Notifications will also be put up on your online account. The next procedure after your receipt notification is to wait for an invite for biometrics information. USCIS will send you a mail requesting you to be at their office to provide your biometric information. Here, you will be asked to provide your recent photograph, fingerprint, and signature.
If there’s a need for any extra information or evidence, you will be notified with a message called Request for Evidence. They will also put this notification on your online account, whichever you see first, make sure to attend to it and submit the documents requested before the given deadline. After the whole process of applying, you will get their decision through a mail or on your online account. The whole process may take several months which is due to the bulk of cases to be attended to by USCIS.