The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it updated its policy to allow for the automatic extension of Legal Permanent Residence Cards (known as Green Cards) for lawful permanent residents who apply for naturalization. This hugely impactful change went into effect on December 12, 2022.
Legal Permanent Residents who correctly file a Form N-400 Application for Naturalization will receive an automatic extension of their green card validity for up to 24 months.
Applicants need only present the expired Green Card and N-400 receipt notice to demonstrate the green card extension for the purposes of work, travel, and any other situations that require a showing of a valid unexpired green card.
A welcome change
Before this policy update, the USCIS policy stipulated that those who didn’t apply for naturalization at least six months before their Green Card expiration date needed to apply to have it replaced by filing Form I-90 (along with a separate $540 filing fee). These changes are a welcome reduction to both unnecessary paperwork and additional government filing fees.
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