USCIS says that a Form I-90 receipt notice, together with your Permanent Resident Card, "provides evidence of your lawful permanent resident status for 36 months from the expiration date on your Permanent Resident Card." That is the figure on the USCIS Replace Your Green Card page, which shows a review date of 09/12/2025. Your own receipt notice controls, so read the period printed on it. The notice is for lawful permanent residents renewing a card. Conditional residents use a different form.
When USCIS says to renew
USCIS says a lawful permanent resident must replace the green card if it is expired or will expire within six months. The Policy Manual states that Form I-90 "must be used by an LPR to request replacement of a PRC expiring within 6 months." You file Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, online or by mail. USCIS does not state a fee on the I-90 page and points to its Fee Schedule at uscis.gov/g-1055.
What the receipt notice does
After you file, USCIS sends a receipt notice. On its Replace Your Green Card page, USCIS prints the language that appears on the notice:
"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."
It also says: "This notice, presented with your expired Permanent Resident Card, is evidence of your status and work authorization." The Policy Manual adds that the notice, shown with the expired or expiring card, can prove authorization to work and authorization to return from temporary foreign travel.
How the length has changed
The length of this extension has changed, so older advice may be wrong. USCIS announced in an alert that, effective September 10, 2024, it "automatically extended the validity of Permanent Resident Cards (also known as Green Cards) to 36 months" for lawful permanent residents who properly file Form I-90 to renew an expiring or expired card. USCIS says the previous receipt notices gave a 24-month extension. Newly filed renewal receipts now state 36 months from the expiration date on the current card, and USCIS says it began printing amended receipt notices for people with a pending I-90.
The Policy Manual does not repeat the number. It says the receipt notice, presented with the card, extends card validity for the period stated in the notice. So the safest approach is to read your own notice. If your notice and an article disagree, follow the notice and the USCIS pages.
What if you no longer have the card?
The receipt notice works with your card. If you no longer have the card, USCIS says in its alert that you may request an appointment at a USCIS Field Office through the USCIS Contact Center, and that after you file Form I-90, USCIS "may issue you an Alien Documentation, Identification, and Telecommunications (ADIT) stamp" as evidence of status. The word "may" means it is not guaranteed. For the lost or stolen case, see our guide to replacing a lost or stolen green card.
If you are abroad when the card is about to expire
USCIS says that if you are outside the United States and your card will expire within six months, but you will return within one year of departure and before the card expires, you should file Form I-90 as soon as you return to the United States. The Policy Manual says green cards cannot be mailed to addresses outside the United States.
Conditional residents do not use Form I-90 to renew
If your card is a two-year conditional green card, the renewal path is different. USCIS says that if your conditional card is expiring, "you must submit Form I-751, Petition to Remove the Conditions on Residence." The Form I-90 page also warns: "DO NOT submit this form if you are a conditional resident seeking to remove conditions on your Green Card." For the I-751 receipt, see our I-751 status page.
Keep your address current
USCIS says that if your mailing address changes while your case is pending, you should update it through your USCIS online account. The Form I-90 page says: "If you move, you must update your address with USCIS," which you can do through your online account or by filing Form AR-11. It also says an online account lets you check the status of your case.
Common questions
How long does the I-90 receipt notice extend my green card?
USCIS says 36 months from the expiration date on your current card, for newly filed renewal receipts. Earlier receipts said 24 months, and USCIS said it was printing amended notices. The period printed on your own notice is the one that applies to you.
Can I travel with the expired card and the receipt notice?
USCIS's receipt language says "You remain authorized to work and travel," and the Policy Manual says the notice can prove authorization to return from temporary foreign travel. USCIS pages do not promise that a border officer will admit you; ask an immigration attorney about a specific trip.
Do I use Form I-90 if my conditional green card is expiring?
No. USCIS says to file Form I-751 instead.
Where can I see how long a renewal is taking?
The USCIS processing times tool is the official source. Our "we ordered your new card" explanation covers the status message that often appears once the card is in production.
Official sources
- USCIS: Replace Your Green Card
- USCIS alert: Green Card validity extension to 36 months
- USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 11, Part B, Chapter 2
- USCIS: Form I-90
GreenLight is not affiliated with USCIS or the U.S. government. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.