Starting in January 2021, USCIS will replace the sticker that is currently issued to lawful permanent residents (LPRs) to extend the validity of their Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card (PRC or “Green Card”) with a revised Form I-797, Notice of Action for Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card. LPRs file Form I-90, when their Green Card expires or is about to expire.
The revised I-797 receipt notice, together with an applicant’s PRC, will serve as temporary evidence of lawful permanent resident status for 12 months from the expiration date on the face of the Green Card.
This change ensures that certain LPRs with a pending Form I-90 to replace an expiring Green Card have documentation of identity, employment authorization and authorization to return to the United States following temporary foreign travel. Applicants who have already been scheduled for a biometrics appointment will not receive a revised notice and will receive an extension sticker at their biometrics appointment.
Starting in January, applicants who file Form I-90 to replace an expiring Green Card will receive the revised receipt notice in the mail approximately 7-10 days after USCIS accepts their application.