How to Apply for Green Card Renewal
If you have been working in the United States for a while, you may be wondering when you will need to apply for a new green card and how you should go about doing so. Some green cards are conditional, which means they are only good for two years. Most cards expire after 10 years and some never expire. The expiration date of your current green card should be listed on the card itself.
If you have a conditional green card, you will want to begin the application for your permanent card about ninety days before the old one expires. If you are renewing a permanent residence card, you should begin the process about six months in advance. It is very important to renew your card. Your permanent residence status does not expire when your green card does and you will not be deported. However, an expired green card could result in your not being able to travel, buy a house, have your driver’s license renewed, or get a job.
Conditional Green Card Expiration
When a conditional green card expires, you cannot apply for a new conditional green card, you will have to apply for a permanent residence card. To remove the conditions of your green card, you must file a petition with the U.S.Citizenship and Immigration Service.
To begin the process you must fill out a form. If the condition of your green card was marriage, you must fill out form I-751. If your condition was that you were an entrepreneur, you will use form I-829. Be prepared to answer detailed questions about your marriage or your business respectively.
Renewing a Permanent Residence Green Card
The first step in renewing a green card will be to go to the USCIS website and fill out an I-90 form. You will be asked to pay a fee of $540 when you submit the form. If you apply more than six months before the expiration date of your card, your application may be rejected.
You will be given a list of 17 reasons to renew your green card. Each reason requires its own set of documents, so be sure to select the right one. You will then submit the documentation along with a copy of your passport and driver’s license.
When you turn in your application, you will be issued a receipt. You can follow your application’s progress online. The USCIS will notify you of their decision on the website.
What to do if You are Denied a New Green Card
There are a few things that might cause a green card renewal application to be denied. If you did not fill out the forms correctly or lied, you may be denied. If you have been convicted of a crime, your card may not be renewed.
It is always a good idea to have the assistance of a green card attorney if you are about to renew your green card. A lawyer will know exactly what documentation you need to send in with your renewal form and they can represent you if there are any problems with the renewal.
Renewing a green card is costly and time-consuming, but it is worth it to keep living in the United States.
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