A green card is proof of lawful permanent resident status, and most cards expire every ten years — the status itself does not expire, but the card does. When your card is expiring, lost, stolen, damaged, or contains an error, Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, is the form that gets you a new one. It is one of the most commonly filed immigration forms, and while the process is straightforward, mistakes in filing reason or evidence are a leading cause of delays and rejections.
Table of Contents
- When to File Form I-90
- Filing the Form: Online vs. Paper
- Fees and Fee Waivers
- Evidence You Will Need
- What Happens After Filing
- Travel and Work While Waiting
- Key Takeaways
When to File Form I-90
File Form I-90 if your green card is expired or will expire within six months, was lost, stolen, or destroyed, was mutilated or damaged, contains incorrect information due to a USCIS error or a legal name change, or was never received. Conditional residents with two-year cards generally do not use I-90 — they file Form I-751 or I-829 to remove conditions instead — but there are narrow exceptions, such as replacing a lost conditional card.
Do not file I-90 if you are actually seeking to renew conditional status or if you have been outside the US long enough to raise abandonment questions; those situations need different forms and strategies. And if your card was issued before you turned 14, you were required to replace it at 14 — an often-overlooked rule that still generates filings from adults who never did.
Timing matters for renewals: USCIS accepts I-90 renewals within six months of expiration. Filing earlier than that can result in rejection. Mark the expiration date and set a reminder — an expired card complicates employment verification, travel, and proof of status, even though your underlying permanent resident status remains valid. Broader context on maintaining status appears in our immigration policy coverage.
Filing the Form: Online vs. Paper
USCIS encourages online filing through a USCIS online account, which offers immediate receipt confirmation, easier document uploads, and online case tracking. Paper filing by mail remains available. Whichever route you choose, the most important field is the reason for filing — selecting the wrong reason code is a classic error that leads to rejection or a request for evidence.
The form asks for biographical details, immigration history, and information about the card being replaced. Answer completely and consistently with your prior filings; discrepancies between the I-90 and earlier applications can trigger scrutiny. If your name or other details changed since the card was issued, the form accommodates that with supporting evidence.
After filing, you receive a receipt notice with a case number for tracking. Current form instructions, filing locations, and fees are published at uscis.gov, and you should verify them at filing time because fee schedules are updated periodically.
Fees and Fee Waivers
Form I-90 carries a filing fee plus a biometrics fee for most applicants, totaling several hundred dollars. Fees change over time, so confirm the current schedule before paying — underpayment is a common cause of rejection, and USCIS does not hold cases while you correct payment.
Applicants who cannot afford the fee may request a fee waiver on Form I-912, documenting inability to pay through means-tested benefits, household income at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or financial hardship. Fee waiver requests must be filed with the I-90 and require supporting evidence; a bare assertion of hardship will be denied.
If USCIS made the error — for example, a misspelled name caused by a data-entry mistake — the replacement is generally filed without a fee under the USCIS-error reason code, with evidence showing the correct information was originally provided. Keep copies of your original submissions to prove such errors. Financial planning around immigration costs is covered in our personal finance section.
Evidence You Will Need
A renewal based on expiration typically requires only a copy of the expiring green card. Lost or stolen cards require a copy of the card if available, plus a police report or sworn statement explaining the loss if the card is gone. Damaged cards should be submitted with the pieces. Name changes need the court order or marriage certificate; USCIS-error corrections need proof the correct data was originally submitted.
All foreign-language documents need certified English translations. Copies are generally acceptable at filing — do not mail original green cards or original civil documents unless specifically requested. Bring originals to any in-person appointment instead.
Organize evidence by the reason code you selected. Officers adjudicate against that reason, so a filing marked “card expired” with evidence about a name change creates confusion and delays. Match the reason, the narrative, and the documents precisely.
What Happens After Filing
After filing, USCIS issues a receipt notice that extends the validity of your green card — historically the notice has extended validity for a substantial period beyond the card’s expiration, which protects your ability to work and travel while the replacement is pending. Keep this notice with your expired card; together they prove your status.
Most I-90 applicants are scheduled for a biometrics appointment at an Application Support Center for fingerprints, photo, and signature. Some renewals are processed without new biometrics if recent data is on file. After biometrics, the case goes to adjudication, and approved cards are produced and mailed to the address on file.
Processing times vary widely by filing reason and service center workload, ranging from a few months to well over a year in backlogged periods. Track your case online and respond promptly to any request for evidence. If you move while the case is pending, update your address immediately — a card mailed to an old address creates a bureaucratic mess. For background on USCIS processing trends, see our economics coverage of agency capacity issues.
Travel and Work While Waiting
You remain a lawful permanent resident while the I-90 is pending, and the receipt notice combined with your expired card generally serves as proof of status for employment verification and reentry. For I-9 employment verification, the receipt notice extends the card’s validity for employers’ purposes — show HR both documents together.
International travel is generally fine with the extended-validity notice, but carry the receipt notice, the expired card, and ideally a valid passport. Some travelers prefer to obtain an ADIT stamp (a temporary proof-of-status stamp in the passport) at a USCIS field office before extended trips, which eliminates questions at the port of entry. InfoPass-style appointments for ADIT stamps are scheduled through USCIS customer service.
Avoid trips approaching a year or longer without a reentry permit — extended absences raise abandonment-of-residence questions regardless of card validity. The I-90 replaces the card; it does not protect against abandonment findings. Plan long travel with that distinction in mind.
