“When applying for a green card or visa, immigrants are no strangers to paperwork and bureaucracy. Hiring a qualified attorney to help you renew these documents to keep your right to work and live in the United States is often necessary. You can get help from our firm.”
Residency Renewal
Attorney groups can assist you regardless of whether you live in Colorado, out of state, or even out of the country. Contact our experienced attorneys now to schedule a consultation for residency renewal.
The process of permanent resident renewal card (green card)
Our attorneys can help you complete and submit Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card if your green card is coming up for renewal or has already expired. You should start the renewal process at least six months before the end date of your green card to cut the risk that it will expire.
Before you submit your application, ensure that it is accurate and complete. You cannot appeal a denial of renewal. Contact us for legal help if your renewal is fully refused since it is possible to have a case reopened.
What is a Green Card?
Immigrants must get a green card to prove their status as either lawful permanent or conditional permanent residents after moving to the United States as a child. We also know the green as a Permanent Resident Card.
Also, to prove compliance with the U.S. immigration process, a green card is proof of one’s citizenship status.
Persons who hold only a visa and are permanent residents may only live in the United States for a specified period. The individual living in this country must also have a specific reason for staying there, such as attending a U.S. college or working for a specific company.
Conditional permanent residents will have only two years to become permanent residents if their status is that of a conditional permanent resident. They will need to leave the country until they can return and restart the application process if they do not achieve permanent resident status within two years of filing for their green card or before their visa expires.
A lawful permanent resident has ten years until their green card expires. At the same time, permanent and conditional permanent residents need to renew their green cards. A person’s immigration status will also determine whether they need the renewal process based on whether they are commonly considered a lawful or conditional permanent resident.
Card Renewal for Conditional Permanent Residents
The green card of a conditional permanent resident is legally issued for only two years. Your green card must be renewed every two years, so if it’s only valid for two years, you will need to submit further information.
There are needs for different forms for conditional permanent resident cards. Sometimes, you may need to fill out Form I-751 or Form I-829. To ensure that you get your conditional green card before it expires. We can determine which Form you need and ensure that it is correctly completed and submitted on time.
Applying For or Renewing a Visa
Additionally, we assist tourists, students, and others in or outside the U.S. in applying for and renewing visas. Our services include, for example:
- Tourist visas B-2
- Business visitor visas B-1
- Visas for students with F-1 status
- Spouses and children of permanent residents are eligible to apply for nonimmigrant visas (V)
Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
When conditions in certain countries make a return to the U.S. dangerous, the U.S. government allows citizens from those countries to remain in the country. The most common reason is when a country is undergoing a military conflict, such as a civil war, or when an environmental disaster has occurred. People granted temporary protected status can still apply for green cards and other immigration benefits after they leave the U.S. TPS does not confer permanent immigration benefits. Still, people who remain in the U.S. through TPS are not eligible for permanent immigration benefits.
Currently, TPS is available in the following countries:
- El Salvador
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
- Somalia
- Sudan
- South Sudan
- Syria
You might be eligible for temporary immigration status through TPS if you or a loved one are citizens of any of these countries.
Help With Asylum and Refugee Claims
To qualify for asylum in the U.S., you or a loved one must prove that they have suffered past persecution or fear future persecution, which depends on one or more of the following grounds:
- Race
- Religion
- Nationality
- Membership in a particular social group
- Political opinion
Asylum seekers should never take seeking asylum lightly, as there can be severe consequences for frivolous or fraudulent applications, including ineligibility for many immigration benefits in the future. Before choosing to seek asylum for you or a loved one, we encourage you to speak with us first.
Our team will be able to determine whether you or a loved one meets the requirements for refugee status to come to the U.S.
How do we know when the Green Card needs the renewal process?
The renewal process of green cards depends on the applicant’s immigration status and circumstances.
Renewal Process of Green Cards
For example, getting a green card without an end date is possible. The green card holder’s status as a lawful permanent resident will remain valid until ten years have passed unless they violate American immigration law or renounce it.
It is essential to realize that a physical green card only serves as proof of a person’s legal permanent residency status and rights to live and work in the United States. Those whose green cards should be approaching the end to submit a renewal request six months before the end date.
Green cards, but they can also have end dates. In the case of conditional permanent residency status and visas, the end date of these cards is just two years.
People whose green cards or visas only have two-year validity should file a petition to remove conditions on residency 90 days before the end date of their green cards or a petition by entrepreneurs to remove conditions on permanent residency.
A person who receives a status change will receive a standard green card expiring ten years from the date of application.
Green cards and visas should be constantly renewed before they expire. Green card holders who are caught with expired cards will likely face harsh legal consequences, including losing the right to live and work in the country.
What Form Do we Need to Submit to Renew the Green Card?
An individual’s immigration status and the requirements they must follow will determine their Form and requirements. If you are a lawful permanent resident and your green card expires within the next six months, you must file Form I-90. Those who lose or destroy their green cards must use this Form to replace them.
A person uses this same Form when legally changing their name, such as after marrying and adopting their spouse’s last name. In contrast, if someone does not have lawful permanent residency, they must apply for a green card renewal or replacement differently.
Those conditional permanent residents whose green cards or visas are only valid for two years must apply to remove the conditions on their cards. You must file the petition within 90 days of the end date of the green card to remove its conditions. You can do this by filing either of the following forms:
- Form I-751, Petition for Removal of Conditions on Residence
- The I-829 Form is a petition by entrepreneurs for the removal of conditions on permanent residency status.
It is usually necessary to file Form I-751 to remove conditions on a green card acquired through marriage or a close family member, such as a parent. But, a person who wishes to remove conditions from a green card obtained by investing in a U.S. business should submit Form I-829.
How Much Does Renewal Cost?
Depending on a person’s immigration status and specific circumstances, the cost of renewing or replacing a green card may vary. The fee for renewing or replacing a permanent resident card (Form I-90) will be $455 as of February 2022. Additionally, depending on one’s circumstances, there may be a biometrics fee of $85. Thus, you must spend $540 to file and process Form I-90.
If you want to remove the conditions on your green card through marriage or family, you have to file Form I-751 and pay $595 to remove the conditions. A biometrics fee of $85 must also be paid by every petitioner and each member of their family.
The application fee for removing the restrictions on a green card is $3,750 for investors in a U.S. business or entrepreneurs seeking to remove the restrictions. In addition, the petitioner and any family members ages 14 to 79 included in the petition also need a biometric service fee of $85.
What if someone fails to renew the green card?
Both conditional and lawful permanent residents must carry a valid green card or visa to maintain their permanent residency status. In some cases, people caught without a green card or visa or who hold expired documentation can be sentenced to jail and fined. People whose immigration status has expired can be commonly charged with a misdemeanor if discovered.
While the repercussions will be less severe if the person’s green card has expired rather than their immigration status, it is still illegal to carry expired documentation knowingly. As a result, some difficulties may arise, including difficulty obtaining employment, getting housing, or traveling abroad. The importance of renewing all documentation on time cannot be overstated.
What for a conditional permanent resident?
To maintain residency, conditional green card holders must renew their cards every two years. You must petition the immigration court to remove the conditions on your green card.
Residents with conditional permanent residency should apply for a regular (non-conditional) permanent residency card rather than renew. If you apply for your conditional green card within six months of its end, you should do so within six months.
When someone marries and acquires permanent residency based on that, they must file a Petition to Remove the Conditions of Residence (Form I-751). An individual must file a petition by an entrepreneur to remove conditions on an investor visa (Form I-829). Each type of case requires a different form. If your petition is approved, your green card the renewing after ten years, and you will become a lawful permanent resident.
Green Card Renewal Documents
You generally only need to provide a copy of your expired or soon-to-expire green card to renew your immigration status.
You must provide more documentation if you apply for a new green card because it has expired, stolen, or damaged.
A Renewal Application’s Expectations
You will receive an acceptance notification.
When USCIS accepts your renewal application, they will notify you by mail. Your renewal application will include a 13-character “receipt number” consisting of three letters and ten numbers that you can use to check its status.
USCIS would extend your green card validity for 24 months after the end date on your green card if you filed your renewal on or after Sept. 26, 2022.
The USCIS would send a new receipt notice if you filed a Form I-90 before Sept. 26, 2022. Generally, extending your green card’s validity for 24 months after it expires.
You can also receive the same notification through your USCIS online account. USCIS creates an online account for you if you don’t already have one and includes instructions on how to access it in your mail letter.
Receive a “biometrics” notification
The schedule of your appointment for biometrics will be within one to two weeks after USCIS receives your application. You should ensure that you respond by the deadline stated in the notice if this is the case.
Bottom Line
The help of an immigration attorney is not necessary for every immigration issue. It may be in your best interest to consult an immigration attorney if you do not understand the requirements for renewing or replacing your green card.
If you hire an experienced immigration attorney, they will be able to assist you with the process and ensure that all necessary forms are correctly filed timely. And if you have been charged with violating immigration laws in the U.S., your lawyer can also provide you with legal representation in court.