A green card usually lasts 10 years, and renewing it is a routine filing that people still get wrong. The regulation says a permanent resident "shall apply for a replacement Permanent Resident Card" when "the existing card will be expiring within six months" (8 CFR 264.5(b)(2), eCFR). The form is Form I-90.
As of October 26, 2026, the most useful fact about renewal is what the receipt notice does. This guide covers when to file, how, and how to prove status while you wait.
- Permanent residents must apply for a replacement card when the existing card will expire within six months.
- Form I-90 can be filed online through a USCIS account or by mail.
- The I-90 receipt notice with the expired card is evidence of status for 36 months from the card's expiration date.
- Conditional residents must file Form I-751 or I-829 to remove conditions, not Form I-90, when their card is expiring.
- Adults 18 and over must carry their registration card at all times; failure is a misdemeanor under INA 264(e).
- USCIS suggests checking naturalization eligibility first, since citizenship can make renewal unnecessary.
When must you file Form I-90?
For a 10-year card, within six months of expiration. The regulation lists the situations in which a permanent resident must apply for a replacement card (8 CFR 264.5(b), eCFR):
| Reason | Required? |
|---|---|
| Card will expire within six months, or has expired | Yes |
| Card lost, stolen or destroyed | Yes |
| Card mutilated | Yes |
| Name or other biographic information legally changed | Yes |
| Card issued before age 14 and you have turned 14, unless it expires before 16 | Yes |
| Card has incorrect data because of a USCIS error | Yes |
| Card issued but never received | Yes |
USCIS's page on replacing your green card uses the same list and adds that if you are abroad when the card enters its last six months, "you should file Form I-90 as soon as you return to the United States."
What if you have a two-year card?
Do not use Form I-90 to renew it. USCIS says: "DO NOT submit this form if you are a conditional resident seeking to remove conditions on your Green Card." Conditional residents file Form I-751 for marriage-based residence or Form I-829 for an investment-based green card (USCIS, Form I-90). A conditional resident may use the I-90 only in narrower cases, such as a lost card that is "not expiring within 90 days" (8 CFR 264.5(d), eCFR).
How do you file?
Online or by mail. USCIS says "You have 2 options for filing your Form I-90 application with USCIS: Online; or By mail (paper)." Filing online requires a USCIS online account, which lets you pay the fee, check status and respond to requests for evidence. Paper filings are scanned for electronic processing, and USCIS creates an online account for paper filers (USCIS, Form I-90). The current fee is on the USCIS fee schedule, and the form must be the current edition and signed.
USCIS may require biometrics; if so, it mails a separate appointment notice. Our guide to the USCIS biometrics appointment explains what happens there.
What does the receipt notice do?
It bridges the gap. For renewals, USCIS says the receipt notice will state: "This notice, together with your Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card (also known as the Green Card), provides evidence of your lawful permanent resident status for 36 months from the expiration date on your Permanent Resident Card. You remain authorized to work and travel" (USCIS, Replace Your Green Card).
So the practical document set while you wait is the expired card plus the receipt. If you no longer have your card, USCIS says it may issue an ADIT stamp as temporary evidence of status after you file (same). The regulation also allows USCIS to issue "temporary evidence of registration and lawful permanent resident status" to someone who has properly filed for a replacement card (8 CFR 264.5(h), eCFR).
What documents go with the application?
It depends on the reason for filing. The regulation says the prior card "must be surrendered to USCIS" when a new card is requested for an expiring or mutilated card, a name or biographic change, commuter changes, turning 14, or a USCIS error (8 CFR 264.5(e)(1), eCFR). A request based on a name change "must include evidence of the name change such as a court order or marriage certificate," and other biographic changes need "documentary evidence verifying the new data" (8 CFR 264.5(e)(2)-(3)).
If the card is wrong because of a USCIS mistake, that is a separate listed reason for replacement (8 CFR 264.5(b)(9)). Explain the error clearly and include evidence of the correct information.
What if the I-90 is denied?
You cannot appeal it. "If an application is denied, the applicant shall be notified of the reasons for denial. No appeal shall lie from this decision" (8 CFR 264.5(f), eCFR). The usual options are a motion to reopen or reconsider, or a new I-90 that fixes the problem. A denial of the card does not by itself end permanent resident status, but a denial that raises questions about your status deserves prompt advice.
Do you have to carry your green card?
Yes, if you are 18 or older. The statute says every noncitizen "eighteen years of age and over, shall at all times carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card issued to him," and a violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $100, up to 30 days in prison, or both (8 U.S.C. 1304(e)). USCIS repeats the point on the I-90 page: "As a lawful permanent resident, you must have a valid, unexpired Green Card or equivalent documentation with you at all times. Applying for naturalization does not change this requirement" (USCIS, Form I-90).
DHS has also been revising its registration rules; a 2026 final rule, 91 FR 39248, adjusted the lists of forms and documents that count as registration and evidence of registration. The practical message has not changed: keep valid evidence with you.
Should you renew or naturalize?
Check both. USCIS suggests using its naturalization eligibility tool before filing Form I-90 (USCIS, Form I-90). Many employment-based green card holders become eligible to naturalize five years after becoming residents. But a pending N-400 does not replace a valid card, so if your card is in its last six months, you may need to file both. Our guide to naturalization after an employment green card covers eligibility.
Long trips also interact with renewal. If you will be abroad when the card expires, our guides to reentry permits and maintaining permanent residence explain how to protect your status.
What this means for you
- Put your card's expiration date in your calendar and file Form I-90 once you are within six months.
- File online if you can, so you can track the case and respond quickly.
- Keep the receipt notice with your expired card; together they prove status for 36 months from expiration.
- If you have a two-year card, file to remove conditions instead.
- Carry valid evidence of status at all times if you are 18 or older.
- If your name or details changed, include the court order, marriage certificate or other proof with the I-90.
- Update your address with USCIS if you move while the I-90 is pending.
Where to start
If you are still on the way to a green card, our free evaluation at /evaluate/ maps your record against the EB-1A and EB-2 NIW standards, and Frank, our AI assistant at /frank, finds real opportunities to strengthen it. Petitions are reviewed and filed by our partner law firm, Lai & Turner.
Sources
All checked October 26, 2026.
- 8 CFR 264.5 (eCFR, current text). When a replacement card is required; conditional residents; temporary evidence.
- USCIS, Form I-90 (last updated October 7, 2026). Filing options; conditional residents; carrying a valid card; naturalization check.
- USCIS, Replace Your Green Card. Replacement reasons; 36-month receipt notice; ADIT stamp; filing after return from abroad.
- 8 U.S.C. 1304(e) (Cornell LII). Duty to carry registration evidence.
- 91 FR 39248, Alien Registration Form and Evidence of Registration (June 29, 2026). Final rule on registration forms and evidence.
Frequently asked questions
When should I renew my green card?
When it will expire within six months. The regulation says a permanent resident shall apply for a replacement card when the existing card will be expiring within six months, and USCIS's replacement page uses the same rule. Filing earlier is not one of the listed reasons. If you are abroad when the six-month window opens, USCIS says to file as soon as you return.
Can I travel or work with an expired green card and an I-90 receipt?
Yes, according to USCIS. Its receipt notice for a renewal says the notice, together with the green card, provides evidence of permanent resident status for 36 months from the card's expiration date, and that you remain authorized to work and travel. Present both documents together. Airlines may still have their own checks, so carry the receipt when traveling.
Does my permanent resident status expire when my card expires?
No. The card is a document; permanent residence is a status that continues unless it is abandoned or terminated. That is why USCIS's receipt notice can serve as evidence of status after the card's expiration date. But you are still required to carry valid evidence of registration, so do not let an expired card sit without filing.
Should I renew my green card or apply for citizenship?
USCIS suggests checking naturalization eligibility before filing Form I-90. If you qualify and naturalize, you no longer need a green card. But a pending naturalization application does not remove the duty to carry a valid card: USCIS says applying for naturalization does not change that requirement. If your card is expiring soon, you may still need to file the I-90.
My two-year green card is expiring. Do I file Form I-90?
No. A conditional permanent resident whose card is expiring files Form I-751, if the residence was based on marriage, or Form I-829, if it was based on an EB-5 investment, to remove the conditions. USCIS states plainly not to submit Form I-90 for that purpose. Form I-90 is for conditional residents only in limited cases, such as a lost card that is not expiring within 90 days.
Green Card Guide AI is not a law firm and this article is not legal advice. It describes evidence-building strategy in general terms; your attorney determines what belongs in your petition and how it's argued.
