Filing for I-90 Will Automatically Extend Your Green Card for 12 Months!
USCIS announced a new policy that will help green card holders whose green cards expire while Form I-90 is pending. This is great news, except that this policy should not be necessary because USCIS should be processing Form I-90 much, much, much quicker than the current processing times.
What does this all mean? When a person has a ten-year green and is six months away from the expiration of the card, that person can file Form I-90 to renew the green card. In recent years, Form I-90 would be processed in as little as one month, a reasonable amount of time for a basic document to be renewed for a person with lawful permanent resident status. In recent months, however, Form I-90 processing exceeds 6, 7, 8 months and more. Since a person cannot file Form I-90 more than six months prior to its expiration (unless the card was lost or had an error), then of course the person would end up with a pending I-90 and no unexpired proof of her green card status. To fill the gap between the green card expiration date and the receipt of a new green card, USCIS is provided a Receipt Notice for Form I-90 that serves to extend the green card by 12 months.
Unfortunately this policy only begins this month, so my clients who filed cases last year still have no approved I-90 and do not have a Receipt Notice that serves to extend their status. In those situations, we can call USCIS to request an in-person appointment at USCIS to get a stamp in the foreign passport or sticker on the green card to serve as proof of continued LPR status.
If you have a ten-year green card, you should consult with an attorney about whether you are eligible for US citizenship/naturalization. If you become a US citizen, you never need to worry again about your expiring green card!
See USCIS to Replace Sticker That Extends Validity of Green Cards | USCIS for more information about this new USCIS I-90 policy.
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