Individuals who have lost their green card or have had it stolen should attempt to remedy the problem as quickly as possible. They should file USCIS form I-90 along with the application fee, a government-issued photo ID, and a copy of their lost or stolen green card if possible. An individual then may need to wait 8-10 months or so in order to receive a replacement.

Individuals who have to travel out of the U.S. or otherwise need some sort of replacement for their card should file their I-90 application as soon as possible to obtain their I-90 filing receipt. They should try to book an appointment with their local USCIS field office as quickly as possible. This can be done online at the USCIS website and it is called an “InfoPass” appointment.

An individual attending his or her scheduled appointment should bring their InfoPass appointment notice, I-90 filing receipt, valid unexpired passport, and if possible a photocopy of the lost or stolen green card. Green card holders that do not have a valid, unexpired passport should still attend their USCIS appointment and bring with them valid photo I.D. and two recently taken, standard-size passport photos instead of their passport.

At the appointment the USCIS officer should provide the individual with a temporary passport stamp (I-551 stamp) showing that they are a permanent resident and thereby allowing them to travel abroad, or other proof if the individual does not have a current passport. The I-551 stamp is also valid for employment verification purposes.

There is a law that a green card holder is supposed to carry his or her current green card on their person. Permanent residents should act promptly to obtain proof of their green card status if their card has been lost or stolen.

Green Card Renewal Fee

The green card renewal fee currently is a total of $540 as of 2018. This fee is broken into two parts. The first is a $455 application fee in order to process the green card application. There is also an $85 biometrics fee that is charged to most applicants. The biometrics fee is for photographing and fingerprinting the green card holder. This process is used to renew an expiring or expired green card for 10 years.