Key Points
- Starting January 2021, USCIS will replace the sticker that is currently issued to LPRs to extend green card validity
- In lieu of the sticker, Form I-797 will be issued extending the validity of the green card for one year past the initial expiration date
- Form I-90 applicants will receive a Form I-797 if they do not have a scheduled biometrics appointment and are in possession of their green card
Overview
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that in January 2021, it will replace the sticker issued to Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) to extend their green card validity, with a revised Form I-797, Notice of Action. The Form I-797, together with the green card will serve as evidence of LPR status for 12 months from the expiration date on the green card.
USCIS will issue the revised Form I-797 within 7-10 days of Form I-90, Application to Replace (an expired, expiring, or lost) being filed. This new measure ensures that LPRs whose green cards have recently expired have legal documentation of employment authorization, identity, and permission to return to the United States after temporarily traveling abroad.
Form I-90 Applicants who have not yet been issued a notice for a biometrics appointment and are in possession of their green card are no longer required to visit an Application Support Center to receive temporary evidence of LPR status. Form I-90 applicants with a pending biometrics appointment will continue to receive the extension sticker at their appointment, and a revised Form I-797 will not be sent.
