The I-90 is the form that applicants need to file in order to replace a lost or stolen green card, or one that is expiring. In addition, the following eligibility requirements apply for I-90 applicants:
- You are a lawful permanent resident of the United States and you need to have your green card replaced
- You are a permanent resident in commuter status, currently with a “C2” green card, and need to apply for renewal of an existing green card
- Conditional permanent residents (those issued a 2-year green card) may also use the I-90 Form if they have lost their existing card and need it replaced
- Your previous card was issued by the USCIS but never received
- You have since the time of receiving your green card changed your legal name, and thus need a replacement card reflecting these changes
Note: Conditional permanent residents may not use this application to replace, for any reason, an existing Permanent Resident Card that is expired or will expire within 90 days. This is because such residents will need to instead remove the conditionality of their card by filing an I-751 Application, in pursuit of a 10-year permanent green card.
Fees and Processing
After filing Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, your I-90 processing time can take anywhere from 6 to 13.5 months. This is according to the most recent estimate given on the government site. This also depends on the type of renewal that is taking place.
Case times might be subject to change based on current case loads. Check this USCIS link to see what the current time estimate is: https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/
In addition, the I-90 has a filing fee of $455. If you application requires a Biometrics appointment, that is an additional $85. Luckily, for those filing, the I-90 also has an online option. Log into your USCIS account to complete this application and upload supporting documents.
How to fill out the Application
The way you fill out this application will depend largely on the type of applicant you are. For example, if you have changed your legal name, you need to be careful and follow the form instructions when they ask questions pertaining to this issue. If you are a commuter, you need to know when to provide your foreign vs. domestic address.
Part 1 is a basic information section. Questions 5a-5c apply only to applicants who have had a legal name change. Please skip this step if your name has not legally changed since the issuance of your current green card. Question 14, your class of admission, is a three-letter code, for example, “IR2”. Question 15 is your date of admission to the United States. Do not confuse this with your parents' date of admission even though you just provided their information.
In Part 2, you will be answering questions as to your application type. Please specify this information by checking the correct boxes that apply to you. If you are a conditional resident, you’ll be skipping Section A. In Section A, for any applicants taking up commuter status, you’ll need to list the U.S. port of entry you’ll be using to travel between the U.S. and Canada/Mexico. This is the airport location where you will fly in and out for your full-time job.
In Part 3, be careful when answering the port of entry questions. Question 3a asks applicants who received an immigrant visa (meaning they took the consular processing route to come to the United States) where they were admitted. You should also complete your Biographic information in this part.
Part 4 applies to applicants who have a disability or impairment. Applicants can write in their requests in this section, or seek the help of a preparer to assist them.
Parts 5, 6, and 7 ask for the principal applicant's signature, the signature and information of any preparer who might have helped the applicant in completing this form, and the contact information and signature of any interpreter who might have helped the principal applicant in completing this form.
