Have you lost your Green Card? If so, don’t worry! If you have lost your Permanent Residence Green Card or Conditional Green Card, there are ways to apply for a new replacement Green Card. We have outlined them for you below. If your conditional green card is rather expiring then you should remove conditions on your Green Card.
If You Lost Your Green Card inside the U.S.
If you lost your Green Card inside the US, you can replace it by filing form I-90 (Application to Replace Permanent Residence Card). You can file this form online or by mail.
Supporting documents required are often a photocopy of your original Green Card, a copy of another form of government-issued identification such as a driver’s license, or other evidence of your status and personal information. If your application is approved, you will receive a new Green Card in the mail.
If you lose your Conditional Green Card, you can use form I-90 to replace it as well, but as mentioned above you cannot use form I-90 to renew an expiring conditional Green Card.
Note: Mistakes in your Green Card replacement application may lead to rejection so use our form preparation service to prepare your Form I-90 application and send it to USCIS.
If your application is denied, you may submit a motion to reopen or reconsider your case but cannot appeal a negative decision.
If You Lost Your Green Card Outside the U.S.
Form I-90 can only be filed from within the United States. Therefore, if your Permanent Residence Green Card or Conditional Green Card is lost while travelling abroad, you will need to wait until you are home, in the U.S., before beginning the replacement process.
However it becomes hard to travel back to the U.S. through a carrier without a Green Card. In such cases you might be able to obtain a boarding foil valid for one month authorizing a transportation line to carry you to the United States without penalty.
Notify local police and request a police report before trying to obtain a boarding foil.
To obtain a boarding foil in order to re-enter you may file form I-131A (Application for Travel Document). The form costs $575. Complete the form and pay for it through the USCIS online payment system.
The completed form must be filed at a USCIS international field office or with a consular section at a U.S. embassy or U.S. consulate.
Before paying your filing fee, contact the nearest USCIS international field office or Consular Section at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate or visit its website to verify that they can process the Form I-131A, and carefully read the form instructions.
When you arrive at the USCIS international field office or US Embassy or the US consulate that processes the form, you must present
- Form I-131A
- Your passport
- A copy of your passport’s biographic page
- Evidence of departure from the United States, as well as your intended return date. Examples include boarding passes and flight tickets
- A photograph of yourself taken within 30 days of submitting your application
- Proof that you have paid the I-131A filing fee. Examples include a copy of the email confirming payment
Once you are let into the U.S., you must file form I-90, which is discussed above. If you are ready to file form I-90 consider using our service to prepare your Form I-90.
How Long Does it Take to Get a New Green Card?
The processing time to replace a lost Green Card ranges from 5 to 8 months.
