Renewing Green Cards Without an Expiration Date
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 Does your green card (permanent resident card) have an expiration date?
A proposed USCIS rule would require all United States permanent residents with a green card
without an expiration date to apply for a new and
updated Green Card.
There are approximately 750,000 green card holders with a permanent resident
card without an expiration date. These Green Cards were issued to individuals
between 1977 and 1989. The old green cards with no expiration date (Form AR-3,
AR-103 and I-151) will be valid until the USCIS sets a termination date for the
cards, which will be published in the Federal Registry. While it is currently not
required to update green cards without and expiration date, it is strongly
recommended to do so. The total fee for renewing a green card is $370, which
includes the $80 biometric fee. This is the same fee as any other permanent
resident must currently pay to have his/her Green
Card renewed. The
Green Card Renewal application guide is
available for instant download.
The purpose of the new Green Card regulations:
- Ensure that all Green Card holders have the latest tamper proof and secure
version of the “Green Card”
- Ensure that all Green Cards have a recent photo and fingerprints of the
bearers
- Update all the personal information including storing of finger prints, photo
and background checks
If the proposal is made law, permanent residents would have 120 days to apply
for their updated Green Card. It is important to remember that permanent
residents must be able to proof that they are legally in the country at
any time by carrying a valid green card. If the old green cards are
cancelled due to the new USCIS rule, the permanent resident will be “out-of-status”, which can lead to
consequences including fines and/or imprisonment.
Critics of the proposed update come from permanent residents that are afraid of
a denial of their Green Card application and removal from the United States.
The proposed USCIS rule was published on August 22nd, 2007. Please check back
soon for more information. If you would like to renew, replace or update your
Green Card, download the Green Card
Replacement application guide and submit your application to the USCIS.
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