The Green C ard, also known as your Permanent Resident Card is an official document of all foreign citizens who have gained the right to permanently live, study, work and travel in the United States of America. Its holders also have greater freedom when travelling outside of the US,in comparison with all nonimmigrant visa statuses.
The steps to becoming a Green Card holder (a Permanent Resident) may vary, depending on the individual visa status and on whether or not the applicant is currently living on the territory of the United States. In the most common cases, individuals are sponsored by an American employer or by a family member, who is also a Permanent Resident or a naturalized citizen of the United States.
There are a number of factors on which your eligibility may depend. The common cases include eligibility through family, through employment, refugee or asylum and other special cases.
Below is a list of the most common Permanent Residence requirements:
All Permanent Residents receive a Green Card as an official document, which serves as legal confirmation of their status. However, this document has a validity period of 10 consecutive years. 6 months prior to the expiry of the card, a Form I-551 should be filled in and send to apply for a Green Card renewal.
Furthermore, if there are legal changes to the card and the holder has the older version, a renewal is also required.
If a holder has received a Green Card with wrong information on it such as misspelled names, address or nationality, a renewal is required.
All of the above-mentioned procedures are done by filling in the I-90 Green Card Renewal Form.
Green Card holders who have had their Green Card lost/stolen/destroyed/mutilated must file the Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card.
In case you are located outside the United States and you need to replace your Permanent Resident card, you must contact immediately the nearest US Embassy or Consulate, before attempting to file the I-90 Form.
Note: Your application will not be considered filed until USCIS has received it officially.
Once the USCIS receives your application, they will check it thoroughly and make sure you have correctly filled in all of the required information. Missing any obligatory fields will lead to the rejection or denial of your application. This is why it is important to follow our step-by-step guide and be sure that your application will not be rejected.
The final decision: The result of your application will be determined on the basis of whether or not you have established full eligibility for the specific immigration benefit you are seeking. If so, you will be directly contacted by the USCIS in writing.
What are the advantages included in my application?