As of December 12th, 2022, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating their policy in order to create an automatic extension for permanent resident cards, known as Green Cards. Because they will get an extension of their legal permanent resident (LPR) status and may avoid having to submit Form I-90, an application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, this modification is anticipated to assist naturalization candidates who encounter lengthier processing timeframes.
Regardless of whether these candidates submitted their Form I-90, legal permanent residents who correctly file Form N-400, an Application for Naturalization, may be granted this extension. For certain applicants, USCIS will even modify the language on Form N-400 receipt notices in order to extend their Green Cards for up to 24 months. The receipt notification can then be used as confirmation of identification and job authorization when the expired Green Card is provided.
Before this change, USCIS policy required applicants for naturalization who did not submit their Form I-90, at least six months before the expiration date, to maintain accurate documentation of their legal status. In addition, an alien documentation, identification, and telecommunications (ADIT) stamp in their passport, which served as temporary proof of their LPR status, was available to applicants who sought for citizenship at least six months before their Green Card was no longer valid.
