USCIS extends validity of Green Cards for conditional permanent residents

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced today that it is extending the validity of Green Cards to 48 months for those who have a pending Form I-751 or Form I-829.

• The validity of Permanent Resident Cards for those who properly filed Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, or Form I-829, Petition by Investor to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status, will be extended to 48 months past the card’s expiration date.

• This extension started on Jan. 11 for applicants submitting a Form I-829 and will start on Jan. 25 for applicants submitting a Form I-751.
• USCIS updated the language on Form I-751 and Form I-829 receipt notices and will issue new receipt notices to eligible conditional permanent residents who previously received notices with an extension shorter than 48 months and whose cases are still pending.
• The updated receipt notices can be presented with an expired Green Card as evidence of continued status while the case remains pending with USCIS.
• The change was made “to accommodate current processing times for Form I-751 and Form I-829, which have increased over the past year,” USCIS said.

Additional Information: Last year, USCIS automatically extended the validity of Green Cards to 24 months beyond the expiration date for those who filed Form I-90 and for lawful permanent residents who have applied for naturalization. Conditional permanent residents who plan to be outside of the United States for a year or more should apply for a reentry permit by filing Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, before leaving the country. More information is available on the International Travel as a Permanent Resident webpage.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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