A Green Card is the status that is accorded to an alien that gives him/her the privilege of legally residing and working in the United States permanently as a lawful immigrant. He/she is known as a lawful permanent resident (LPR).
Green Cards are now officially called permanent residence cards or I-551 cards – they were previously known as alien registration receipt cards.
However, this does not mean that the alien is a citizen of the United States and is able to lose his residency if he/she does not follow the requirements laid down by the law.
Green Cards, which have been issued between 1979 and 1988, do not have expiration dates and do not need to be renewed at this time. INS is planning to develop an orderly plan for replacing these cards at a future date.
However, in 1989, the INS started the policy of having a ten-year expiry date for the green card. This was done with a view to update the security features on the card to prevent forgery and misuse. However, this does not mean that the status of the individual changes in any way – it is only the card itself that expires and must be updated with a new photo and fingerprints.
In order to cope with the anticipated increase expected for replacements of Green Cards for the above and various other reasons, such as loss, mutilation, etc of the Green Card, the New York district has started the following procedures for these applications.
If a person has mutilated or lost his/her Green Card (I-551) or has a old card (I-151), he/she needs to replace it, by completing the following procedure.
1) Complete Form I-90 and mail it to the New York District along with:
(i) A fee of $110/-. Only checks or money orders are accepted. Please make it payable to USINS.
(ii) Three photographs of the person taken within the last 30 days. (Refer below to Photograph Requirements.)
(iii) A notarized statement explaining how and when the card was lost. (Only necessary in case of a lost card)
The mailing address for the above documents is: USINS, 26 Federal Plaza, New York, NY 10278.
Please mark the envelope Attn:
I-90 Lost Card Replacement
Form I-90 must have a revision date of 10/08/1999 or later. The form may be downloaded by clicking here or may be requested for by calling 1-800-870-3676.
2) The USINS will then send you by mail, a date for an appointment, on which you will have to go to the New York District office to receive documentation of your lawful status.
Please go directly to room number 102 on the third floor. Do not go to the general information room.
If a Green Card has expired or is expiring within six months, it must be renewed.
If the green card has already expired, there is no penalty, but it must be renewed as soon as possible. Without a valid Green Card the alien would have difficulty in re-entering the U.S. and also in obtaining employment and benefits. If any person cannot afford the application fee of $110, he/she may put in an appeal for a fee waiver.
For renewal of the Green Card, the person must call 1-800-375-5283 for an appointment to the nearest Applications Support Center (ASC). He/she must talk to a live operator to take this appointment and must appear in person on the date and time given with all the documentation and fees required. A list of these is given below:
1) Completed Form I-90. (The form must have a revision date of 10/08/1999 or later.) The form may be downloaded by clicking here or may be requested for by calling 1-800-870-3676.
2) Fee of $110/-. Only checks or money orders are accepted. Please make it payable to USINS.
3) Two photographs of the person taken within the last 30 days. (Refer below to Photograph Requirements.)
4) Expired or expiring Green Card (I-551 card).
5) Photocopies of the front and back of the expired or expiring Green Card (I-551 card).
Click here for a list of Applications Support Centers (ASCs) in New York City.
Photograph Requirements
Two
identical, natural color photographs of the alien taken within 30 days of the
application must be submitted along with the Form I-90. The photos must have a
white background, be unmounted, printed on thin paper and be glossy and not
retouched. They should show a three-quarter frontal profile showing the right
side of the face with the right ear visible. The head should be bare, unless
wearing a headdress required by a religious order of which the applicant is a
member. The photos should be 2 X 2 inches, with the distance from the top of
the head to just below the chin about 1¼ inches. The A# should be written on
the back of the photo in pencil.
If a person has a Green Card (I-551) which is expiring, and
has proof that he/she has already filed a naturalization application at least
six months prior to the expiration date of the Green Card, then he/she does not
have to apply for a replacement of his/her expiring Green Card. However, if
the filing date for naturalization is less than six months from the expiration
date of the Green Card, then the person must file the Form I-90 for the
replacement of the expiring Green Card.
InfoLinks:
v
Looking after
Your Green Card
v
Green Card Renewals at Local ASCs
v
INS FAQs on Green Card Renewals
The information in this article is of a general
nature and may not apply to any specific or particular circumstance. It is not
to be construed as legal advice and does not establish an attorney-client
relationship between The Law Offices of Cyrus S Nallaseth and the viewer.