Your Green Card serves as an evidence that you are a permanent resident of the US. It is an important document to be kept valid at all time. Your green card is valid for 10 years after which you need to obtain a Green Card renewal form, I-90 to renew and validate your residency. Once your Green Card expires, the appropriate measure to take is it to renew it. The expiration date is usually written at the front part of the green card. The green card renewal form is available to be filed online or as a mail.
While waiting for your Green Card to be renewed, you will be issued an Alien Documentation, Identification and Telecommunications stamp after filling the green card renewal form. The time for you to get your Green Card renewed depends on the USCIS office. It can be extended based on what their caseload is or how accurately you are able to prepare your file without error or omitting any important file.
Thousands of green card renewal forms are denied yearly with about 9% rejected. This is due to obvious reasons. The USCIS can’t attend to your form if there’s an error or omission of important documents. The good thing here is that you won’t be ignorant about the rejection or acceptance of your form. If your Green Card renewal form was properly filed, you will receive a notification from USCIS confirming the receipt of your form /application. The notification is known as Notice of Action, form 1-797C which would normally arrive at approximately three weeks. If your form or application wasn’t properly filed, you would also be notified by the USCIS through a mail stating the reason for rejection. You may be sent a request for evidence in which you may be required to forward the omitted items.
Processing a green card renewal form, I-90 may take up to 8-10 applications. The time length varies, it could take a short period for some and a longer period for others. Usually, the USCIS would put up a processing time which is between 4-6 weeks on their website; you can always make a case inquiry if your case has extended beyond the normal processing duration. You have the grace to check your case status online with your receipt number which is the 10 digits on your receipt.
A green card renewal form costs $455 and an additional $85 for biometrics which you will do later in your application process. It is advisable to start processing your green card renewal about six months before the expiration date. Delaying the process doesn’t mean you are going to lose your residency or won’t be getting your Green Card renewed, but it may cause you to face a lot of problems with getting around. You may be denied access to several opportunities like getting a driver’s license or renewing an expired license, a home loan, traveling outside the United States and securing a new job.