Green card renewal is a requirement in order to keep your status as a permanent resident and continue staying in the United States. It consists of an administrative procedure that is required every ten years by all immigrants who obtain a green card. It should be done before the expiration of your current card and before the card expires. This can be accomplished by filing the application for a new green card or renewing your present card.
Green card renewal tips
1.Know the purpose of your visit
If you have any official business on your trip such as interviewing for a job, attending a school interview or getting final exam results, have the documents ready for presentation at a designated USCIS office. Be sure to take additional copies so that if necessary you can also submit them afterward. The supporting document requirement is usually not a problem until you are at the end of your application process.
2.Check expiration date and prepare documents
In order to file for re-entry permit or green card renewal online, see to it that your card has been expired less than one year before you start filing.
3.Be sure you have your current passport and I-94 record with you
Your reentry permit is linked to your passport, so if your passport was issued after your reentry permit was issued, you will need to bring both to the USCIS office with you. If all the information in your current US Passport is the same as that in your I-94 record, it is fine not to bring it since they are both still valid and interchangeable. A visa can also be used as a substitute for a passport as long as it is valid. However, if there details in one do not match those of the others, then bring both with you on the date of appointment.
4.Sign up for appointments
Sign up for green card renewal in the USCIS online account that you created earlier. This is necessary as a result of USCIS’s participation in E-Verify program which requires all new hires to be duly verified through proper mailing and signing up with E-Verify. If you are not in the U.S, you may use
5.Arrive early
There are very few date slots for green card renewal and if you wait for late or last minute appointment, you may not be able to get it and your status will be in jeopardy. So arrive in the US early and make sure you fill up the application form accurately otherwise you might face further problems if USCIS does not believe that all information is true.
6.Check all details carefully before submitting them on the form
Review all information that is required to understand whether everything is in order or not. For example, any minor errors on your part can make it difficult to file your forms due to USCIS’s concern over concerns about accuracy of data entered by applicants.
- Agree to have your fingerprints taken
In addition to this, you should also have your photo taken for the purpose of holding a personal interview with an officer of USCIS. It is done so that the officer can verify whether you are who you claim yourself to be. It is usually done together with fingerprint scanning and can take place at USCIS office or any other location where this is possible as long as there is a biometric enrollment device available.
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