If you currently a green card holder and your green card is about to expire, you may be wondering whether you should file Form-751 or Form I-90 to renew your green card. The answer is: it depends. It will depend on whether you were originally granted a conditional green card, or whether you were granted a 10 year green card and you are renewing that green card.
What is an I-751 Form?
I-751 form is a Petition to Remove Conditions on your green card. For example, if you married a US citizen, you would initially be granted a conditional green card for 2 years. 90 days before your conditional green card expires, you need to file an I-751 form, a Petition to remove conditions on your green card. If the I-751 petition is approved, you would normally be issued a 10 year “permanent” green card. If you hold a conditional green card, you would not be able to file Form I-90 and if you do, it would be rejected. You have to file Form I-751. Once you obtain your permanent 10 year green card, after the 10 year period, you would then be filing an I-90 form to renew it (unless you become a US citizen within that time).
Please see our blog post on What evidence you need to submit with the I-751 petition here.
Please also see our blog post on whether You can file a naturalization petition while your I-751 petition is pending here.
What is an I-90 Form?
An I-90 Form is an Application to Replace a Permanent Resident Card. There are many reasons to file an I-90 form and one of the reasons is to renew your green card if your green card is expiring in the next 6 months or if your green card already expired (You can also file Form I-90 if for example your green card was lost or never delivered).
As mentioned above, if you hold a conditional green card, you would need to file Form I-751 (the I-90 instructions specifically say this as well).
Please see our blog post on How you can renew your green card and how long it takes here.
Please see our blog post on What are your rights and responsibilities as a green card holder here.
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