How to renew Marriage 2 years green card, Investment 2 years green card, Expired green card, lost Green Card, and so on?
A green card is a very valuable legal document for immigrants. It evidences status as a lawful resident of the United States.
Among the benefits that an immigrant receives from having a green card are:
- You can live and work in the United States.
- You can receive government financial aid for education.
- You can sponsor other family members (spouse, unmarried child) for a green card.
- You can apply for U.S. citizenship after 5 years (or 3 years if you are married to a U.S. citizen)
Thus, it is a happy day when an immigrant receives a green card. Unfortunately, green cards are not in effect forever.
Under various different circumstances, the green card that was issued to you can no longer be used by you. Thus, to continue to receive the benefits from your green card, it will then be necessary for you to obtain a new green card (collectively “renew a green card”)
Types of Green Cards
In understanding how to renew a green card, it is important to note that there are two types of green cards, as follows:
- “Permanent” green cards (also sometimes referred to as “permanent resident cards”) are green cards that are issued not subject to any conditions.
- “Conditional” green cards (also sometimes referred to as “conditional resident cards”) are green cards that are issued subject to certain conditions and will not become permanent green cards until these conditions are removed.
Permanent Green Cards
The word, “permanent”, in permanent green cards is intended to distinguish them from conditional green cards; to clarify, it does not mean that they are in effect forever and do not have to be renewed. Permanent green cards generally are in effect for a time period of 10 years and therefore are also sometimes referred to as “10-year green cards” (or “10-year permanent resident cards”). Thus, every 10 years, you will need to renew a permanent green card.
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”), a permanent green card should be renewed if it has expired or will expire within the next six months. As a result, it is recommended that you file to renew a permanent green card six months before it is due to expire. If you file to renew a permanent green card earlier than six months before it is due to expire, your filing may be rejected.
To apply to renew a permanent green card, you will file Form I-90, “Application to Replace Permanent Green Card”. The Instructions for Form I-90 explain how to complete the Form, including what documents need to be submitted with it.
You can file Form I-90 with USCIS online (you will need to create a USCIS online account) or by mail to either:
- For U.S. Postal Service deliveries, USCIS, P.O. Box 21262, Phoenix, Arizona 85036; or
- For FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries, USCIS, Attention: I-90, 1820 E.Skyharbor Circle S, Floor 1, Suite 100, Phoenix, Arizona 85034.
There is a $455 filing fee and an $85 biometric services fee required in connection with Form I-90.
Renew 2 years Green Card | Conditional Green Cards
A conditional green card will become an expired green card if the conditions to which it is subject are not removed in a proper and timely manner.
Conditional green cards generally are in effect for a time period of two years and therefore are also sometimes referred to as “2-year green cards” (or “2-year conditional resident cards”). Unlike permanent green cards, for which you potentially will have multiple permanent green cards (renewing an expired permanent green card for a new permanent green card every 10 years) over the course of your lifetime, you will have only a single conditional green card, which you will hopefully be able to “convert” into a permanent green card.
You must file to remove the conditions on your conditional green card within 90 days of the conditional green card expires.
The process for the removal of conditions on your conditional green card will vary based on the type of conditional green card that you have, as follows:
- If the conditional green card is based on marriage (also sometimes referred to as a “marriage green card”), you will need to file Form I-751, “Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence”, within 90 days of the conditional green card expiring. The Instructions for Form I-751 explain how to complete the form, including what documents need to be submitted with it. The key to Form I-751 is establishing that the marriage for which you received conditional resident status was entered into in “good faith” and not for the purpose of circumventing immigration laws. Among the documents commonly submitted with Form I-751 are birth certificates for children born during the marriage, a lease or mortgage evidencing joint occupancy and/or ownership of a residence, financial records showing joint ownership of assets and joint responsibility for liabilities, and affidavits from at least two people concerning the marital relationship.
You can file Form I-751 with USCIS online (you will need to create a USCIS online account) or by mail to either
(i) for U.S. Postal Service deliveries, USCIS, P.O. Box 21200, Phoenix, Arizona 85036, or
(ii) for FedEx, UPS, and DHS deliveries, USCIS, Attn: I-751, 1820 E. Skyharbor Circle S, Suite 100, Phoenix, Arizona 85034. There is a $595 filing fee and an $85 biometric services fee required in connection with Form I-751.
- If the conditional green card is based on an investment (also sometimes referred to as an “investment green card”), you will need to file Form I-829, “Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status”, within 90 days of the conditional green card expiring. The Instructions for Form I-829 explain how to complete the form, including what documents need to be submitted with it. The key to Form I-829 is establishing that the investment for which you received conditional resident status is a qualified investment. To have a qualified investment, you need to submit evidence that you invested or were active in the process of investing the required amount of capital, you sustained your investment throughout the time period of your conditional resident status, and that your investment created or can be expected to create, within a reasonable time, 10 full-time jobs for qualifying employees.
You can file Form I-829 online (you will need to create a USCIS online account) or by mail to either
(i) for U.S. Postal Service deliveries, USCIS, P.O. Box 650889, Dallas, Texas 75265-0889, or
(ii) for FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries, USCIS, Attn: I-829, 2501 S. State Hwy. 121 Business, Suite 400, Lewisville, Texas 75067. There is a $3,750 filing fee and an $85 biometric services fee required in connection with Form I-829.
What documents are needed to renew a green card?
Depends on what type of green card you are going to renew.
- To renew a ten-year green card, a copy of the current green card should be good enough.
- To renew a two-year green card based on marriage, you need to provide a copy of your current green card and sufficient evidence to prove your marriage was entered in good faith.
- To renew a two-year green card based on EB-5 investment, you need to provide a copy of your current green card and sufficient evidence to prove the EB-5 project has sustained the employment of ten full-time qualifying employees.
Lost Green Cards | Stolen, Destroyed, and others.
You also need to renew a green card if your green card is lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed (collectively “lost green cards”). As you are required to always carry your green card with you, it is not uncommon to have a lost green card, as you cannot just keep it in a safe, fixed place.
If you have a lost green card, you need to follow the procedures described above for a permanent green card, including filing Form I-90, to renew your green card.
Other Situations
Other situations in which you need to renew a green card include:
- You received your green card before you were age 14, but now you have reached your 14th birthday (unless your green card expires before your 16th birthday).
- Your green card contains incorrect information, including because you have legally changed your name or other biographic information on the green card.
If you have these other situations concerning your green card, you need to follow the procedures described above for a permanent green card, including filing Form I-90, to renew your green card.
Green Card Renewal Processing Times
How long does it take to get a green card renewal?
- If you renew a ten-year green card, it takes about 1-6 months.
- If you renew a two-year green card based on marriage, it takes about 6-18 months.
- If you renew a two-year green card based on EB-5 investment, it takes about 36-60 months.
The time required to renew a green card will vary based on the applicable Form.
- Form I-90 has a current processing time that is estimated to vary from 1-6 months.
- For Form I-751, the current processing time is estimated to vary from 6-18 months.
- The current processing time for Form I-829 is estimated to vary from 36-60 months.
Travel and Expired Green Cards
If you do have an expired green card, it can be very risky to travel out of the United States because without a valid green card, you have no legal authority to enter the United States and can be denied entry.
Nevertheless, emergencies or other circumstances may arise that require you to travel out of the United States even with an expired green card. What should you do?
If 12 months or less have elapsed since the expiration of your green card, you should follow a two-step approach.
- First, you need to file Form I-90. Thus, this approach will only be available for an expired permanent green card, and not a conditional green card.
- Second, your Form I-90 receipt notice (also known as Form i-797), with your expired green card, can be used as evidence of your lawful resident status for up to 12 months after the expiration of your green card.
If more than 12 months have elapsed since the expiration of your green card, you should go to the local USCIS office wherever you are then located, and try to obtain an ADIT (Alien Documentation, Identification& Telecommunications) stamp (“I-551 Stamp”) on your green card. The ADIT stamp can be used as evidence of your lawful resident status.
What happens if my green card expires while waiting for renewal?
When a green card expires, you continue to be a lawful permanent resident. After you properly file your renewal application, you will receive an I-797 receipt notice which indicates that your green card is extended for 12 months or 18 months from the expiration date of your current green card.
As green cards can expire, questions can arise concerning such issues as – ‘How to renew your expired green card‘? ‘How much does it cost to renew a green card‘? and ‘How long does it take to renew a green card‘?
If you need help answering these questions, or if you have any other inquiries, such as “What should I do to renew my green card?”, “What should I do if I lost my green card?”, “What should I do if my green card is expired and I need to travel?”, you can contact DYgreencard.com.
DYgreencard.com has significant experience on issues relating to how to renew a green card. When your green card has expired, “renewal green card” procedures need to be followed, and DYgreencard.com can advise you on how to best proceed.
As one specific example of its knowledge, DYgreencard.com can advise you on how to proceed if your permanent resident card has expired and you seek help in renewing your permanent resident card. DYgreencard.com will guide you on how to follow all applicable “permanent resident renewal” procedures concerning how to renew your permanent resident card.
Whether it be to renew permanent resident cards or any other type or description of green card (whether it be to renew a permanent green card, to renew a conditional green card, to renew a conditional resident card, to renew a 10-year green card, to renew a 10-year permanent resident card, to renew a 2-year green card, to renew a 2-year conditional resident card, to renew a marriage green card, or to renew an investment green card), DYgreencard.com is your trusted source for information on how to renew a green card.
How much is the green card renewal fee?
To renew a ten-year green card, the cost is $540. To renew a two-year green card based on marriage, the cost is $680. To renew a ten-year green card based on EB-5 investment, the cost is $3835.
If you have questions concerning how to renew your green card if expired and maintain the benefits you receive from a green card, please contact DYgreencard.com.