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Office of
Communications
U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration
Services
August 22, 2007
Fact
Sheet
Proposal to Require Replacement of Permanent
Resident Cards Without an Expiration Date
A
Permanent Resident Card is evidence that the person to whom it was issued is a
permanent resident of the United States, with the right to live and work in the
U.S. Permanent residents are required to carry their cards, often called "green
cards," at all times while in the United States.
Since
August 1989, Permanent Resident Cards have been issued with a ten-year validity
period, at which point the cardholder is required to apply to renew the card.
Renewal is an opportunity to update the photograph and other biometrics on the
card. It also means that the cardholder has a modern, more secure card, and that
fewer different versions are in circulation.
Prior to
August 1989, "green cards" were issued with no expiration date. Cards issued
prior to 1977 were recalled some time ago. Cards issued between 1977 and 1989
are still in circulation.
The
newest of the remaining cards without an expiration date is almost 18 years old;
the oldest among that group is 30. To ensure that the Permanent Resident Cards
in circulation effectively serve their purpose as proof of identity and
work-authorized status, USCIS now proposes to require lawful permanent residents
to replace cards without an expiration date and terminate the validity of these
cards.
At right
is an example of the older cards that USCIS would like to terminate. The
simplest way to determine if your card is the subject of the proposed rule is to
look at the front of your card and see if it does not contain an expiration
date.
Under the proposed rule published in the Aug. 22, 2007 Federal Register, affected cardholders will
need to replace
their "green cards" by filing Form I-90 with the filing and biometric fees.
Under
Form I-90 processing procedures, we would schedule an appointment at one of our
Application Support Centers upon receipt of a Form I-90. There, we would update
your photograph and take your fingerprints for identity verification and a
background check. Your new and more secure Permanent Resident Card would then be
mailed to you.
The rule
proposes a 120-day filing period for applications. Those who file within that
timeframe would receive their new cards before we would terminate the old cards.
The rule also proposes to give USCIS the authority to announce the termination
date of the old cards in a separate Federal Register notice. Under the
proposed rule, cardholders who choose to delay and file Form I-90 late would
risk a delay before they receive their new cards – which could affect their
ability to travel and work.
- USCIS -
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