The Resident Alien Card, Form I-551, issued from January 1977 to August 1989 does not contain an expiration date or card number and is valid indefinitely. USCIS and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issues the I-551 stamp to lawful permanent residents or conditional permanent residents.
What if my green card does not have an expiration date?
As long as you have the I-551 version of the green card, it is still valid – even if there’s no expiration date printed on it. USCIS has discussed implementing a rule requiring permanent residents to replace green cards that lack expiration dates, but they have not implemented such a rule to date.
Which documents can be used to verify immigration status?
What documents can be used to verify immigration status?
- Permanent Resident Card, “Green Card” (I-551)
- Reentry Permit (I-327)
- Refugee Travel Document (I-571)
- Employment Authorization Document (I-766)
- Machine Readable Immigrant Visa (with temporary I-551 language)
- Temporary I-551 Stamp (on passport or I-94/I-94A)
Does a green card ever expire?
Although some Permanent Resident Cards, commonly known as Green Cards, contain no expiration date, most are valid for 10 years. If you have been granted conditional permanent resident status, the card is valid for 2 years. It is important to keep your card up-to-date.
Do I lose my status if my green card expires?
Although you will not lose your permanent resident status due to an expired card, it will create some major problems. It can take 10 to 12 months to renew the card. Therefore, we recommend starting the renewal process six months prior to the expiration date on your card.
When was the last time a green card was issued?
So INS once again issued a new card version in August 1989. These peach-colored cards contain expiration dates, but do not have document numbers and have since expired. To further combat document fraud, effective March 20, 1996, the old Form I-151 Green Cards issued prior to 1979, became obsolete.
When do you get your green card number?
So, you will have to wait until the final action date matches or passes your priority date before you can receive a green card number. Note that, while your priority date is set and does not move, the final action dates change from month to month.
When is the priority date for the EB-3 green card?
Martha is an Indian citizen waiting on an EB-3 green card with a priority date in March 2016. It may be many years before her priority date is current. If she then petitions for an EB-2 green card in January 2019 and is approved, then her priority date will be retained at March 2016 rather than resetting to January 2019.
Is it safe to use a green card with no expiration date?
Generally, you may continue to use these cards. But cards with no expiry date do carry some risks. First, make sure you have a valid version of the card. If you are holding a card that says “I-151” or “Form I-151” in small print anywhere on the card, you have an invalid card. In 1977, the U.S. government discontinued the I-151.
