Key Highlights
Big news for thousands of lawful permanent residents (LPRs)! The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has extended the validity of green cards for renewal applicants. This change takes effect in September 2024 and will ease travel and employment concerns for green card holders waiting for their renewals.
What does it mean? A 36-Month Extension
Previously, green card holders who filed Form I-90 to renew their expiring or expired permanent resident cards got a 24-month automatic extension. As of September 10, 2024, USCIS is now giving a 36-month extension. That means renewal applicants will get an additional 3 years of validity while their application is processed.
This applies to all I-90 applicants, whether their green card is about to expire or has already expired. The receipt notice they get after filing the renewal form is now proof of their continued status in the U.S.
Why Did They Do This?
The extension is because of the growing green card backlog. Due to long processing times, many LPRs were in limbo where their green card had expired but had not yet received new one. This created problems for those who needed to prove their status, especially for employment verification and travel purposes.
The new policy allows green card holders to present the receipt notice and expired card as proof of their continued status. This receipt proves residency and employment eligibility, so employees and employers don’t have to worry about compliance during long waiting periods.
How Does This Help Green Card Holders?
This 36-month extension helps in the following ways:
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Employment Continuity: Green card holders can present their expired card and the I-90 receipt notice to satisfy employment verification processes. This is useful for those switching jobs or undergoing routine verification checks, such as when filing Form I-9.
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Ease of Travel: Travellers won’t have problems at the border. By presenting the expired card and receipt, LPRs can re-enter the US without fear of being denied entry due to an expired green card.
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Less Frequent Renewals: Since the new receipt is valid for 36 months, green card holders won’t have to renew as often, reducing the paperwork and application management burden.
Also Read: Advantages and Disadvantages of Travelling Abroad in 2024
Fixing the Backlog
The extension is to address green card processing delays. As of 2024, green card renewals have longer wait times, with millions of applicants in the queue. USCIS can’t keep up with the demand, mainly because of the limitations in their system, which have worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the extra 12 months of validity helps, many green card applicants still face long delays. Some may wait years to get their new permanent resident card. The increase from 24 to 36 months gives applicants enough proof of their status while they await the delays.
What About Conditional Permanent Residents?
The 36-month extension applies to 10-year green card holders. Conditional permanent residents whose green card is only valid for 2 years, this policy doesn’t apply directly to them. Conditional residents need to file Form I-751 or Form I-829 to remove conditions on their residency, which is a different process from the standard green card renewal using Form I-90.
Conditional residents can benefit from similar policies. Those who have filed their I-751 or I-829 petition can get a 48-month extension while waiting for their application to be processed. This will give them continued legal residency and employment authorization until a decision is made on their petition.
What to Do If Green Card Is Lost?
If a green card is lost, stolen or damaged while waiting for a renewal, applicants can schedule an appointment at the USCIS Contact Center for an ADIT stamp. This stamp will temporarily prove their legal permanent resident status until a new card is issued.
The Big Picture of Green Card Delays
The US green card system is facing huge delays. As of 2024, over 34.7 million applications are pending, millions more for employment-based green cards. The demand for these cards, especially from countries like India and China, is way higher than the supply. The result is long wait times that can be years or even decades.
This affects certain countries more. For example, Indian immigrants applying for employment-based green cards face the longest wait times due to per-country caps and the huge number of applicants in high-demand fields like technology, medicine, and engineering.
Also Read: Visa Fix for Children of H-1B Workers at Risk of Deportation
Conclusion
The 36-month extension of green card validity is a step in the right direction in addressing some of the issues in the US immigration system, particularly the long processing times for green card renewals. This will give peace of mind to lawful permanent residents so they can keep their status, work, and travel without hassle. However, while this extension helps, the bigger backlog of green card applications is still problematic for USCIS and applicants.
To learn more about green card validity and to immigrate to the US easily, you must contact TerraTern right now. With an expert team and over a hundred services, TerraTern will help you realize your dreams easily!
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