USCIS Extends Automatic Extension of Green Card Renewal to Two Years

On September 28, 2022, USCIS announced an increase to the number of days a green card can be automatically extended for, for Form I-90’s that are properly submitted. Permanent residents are usually issued a green card for 10 years (unless they were issued a conditional green card). Before your green card expires, a Form I-90 has to be filed with USCIS to renew the green card. You will need to pay a USCIS filing fee and it usually takes USCIS many months to more than a year to process the application. To be considered properly submitted, the application must be submitted before the current green card expires with the fees paid and forms completed correctly. Please click here to learn more about renewing green cards.

Previously, USCIS provided one year of automatic extensions for green cards. However, as the processing times increased due to the pandemic, many permanent residents have found that their extensions are expiring many months before the application is processed. As a response to the longer processing times, the new change provides properly filed Form I-90 applications with 24 months extensions. This extension is effective starting from September 26 and will only apply to applications that are submitted on or after September 26. It currently does not apply to applications that are submitted prior to September 26 and are already pending. Form I-90 receipts along with the expired green card can be used as evidence of legal status and used for international travel.