intro
immigrants who have been approved for a green card before traveling to the united states should receive their green card in the mail within 30 to 90 days of entering the country. uscis has up to 120 days to send the green card, but it is quite rare to see a case that takes more than 90 days.
The only caveat is for immigrants who have not paid all applicable filing fees and biometric services fees, as USCIS will not issue a green card until all fees are settled. In fact, if you pay the filing fees after entering the United States, the 120-day clock to mail your green card starts on the day you paid the fees, not the day you entered the country.
Immigrants who are approved for a green card through adjustment of status while in the United States are subject to a different timeline. The USCIS officer conducting your green card interview should tell you if her application is approved or denied at the end of the interview, but this rarely happens.
Instead, your case may need a supervisor’s approval (2-3 weeks), the adjudicator may request more information with an rfe (1-6 months), or it could just be delayed a few weeks due to a delay in processing. processing. Either way, your case may not be approved just because you passed the green card interview.
As soon as your green card application is approved, you should receive a decision notice in the mail. Based on the approval date listed in this notice, you should receive your green card welcome packet in the mail within 30 days. After that, you can expect to receive your green card no more than 30 days after you receive your welcome packet. All told, that means you should receive your green card in the mail no more than 60 days after your case is approved.
what to do if you move before you get your green card
When a green card applicant moves at any time during the review process, it is the applicant’s responsibility to inform us of the address change. Updating your address in the USCIS system should have no effect on processing time, but not updating USCIS for a move can cause significant problems. As soon as you move, call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 to update your address.
Please note that if USCIS sends your green card to the wrong address because you did not provide them with an updated address, you will need to apply for a new card and pay a $455 filing fee. Not only is this expensive, but it will take anywhere from 4.5 months to 11.5 months to process the replacement application and submit a new green card.
what to do if your green card is late
if you haven’t received your green card on time (90 – 120 days for immigrants who recently entered the united states, or 60 days for immigrants applying for adjustment of status), the first step is to call the uscis contact center. If the contact center cannot help you, your second option is to contact the uscis officer who completed your green card interview. the final option is to schedule an infopass appointment with an immigration officer at the local uscis office.
A late green card can be a serious red flag that something is wrong with your application. If you have not yet hired an immigration attorney to represent you, this may be a good time to at least consult with an attorney. Even if you don’t need to retain the services of the attorney, they may be able to offer advice on how to fix what is holding you back from your green card.
how to apply for a replacement green card
If you need a replacement green card because yours never arrived in the mail or if it arrived but contains errors, you can request a replacement green card with Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card. This form can also be used to replace lost, stolen, destroyed, or mutilated green cards.
If you need a replacement card because you never received your green card in the mail, you will need to attach a copy of Form I-797, Notice of Action, to the USCIS form that approved your green card.
You will also need to include a copy of a government-issued ID that has your name, date of birth, signature, and photograph. As long as the card was mailed by USCIS more than 30 days ago, was undeliverable, and has not moved from the address provided, there is no charge for this service. Unfortunately, if you moved and didn’t update your address with USCIS, you will have to pay the $455 filing fee.
if you received your green card but there are errors on the card (for example, your name is misspelled or your date of birth is incorrect), you will need to attach evidence to show that the information is incorrect, such as a birth certificate or issued identification by the government. You will also need to mail the green card so that USCIS can verify the error. If the error is due to your mistake (for example, a typo on your application), you will unfortunately have to pay the $455 filing fee. If the error is on USCIS’s part and you can prove it (just include a copy of your application showing you entered the information correctly), the filing fee will be waived.
In any case, it takes us an average of 7 months to process the i-90 form and issue a replacement green card. During this time, your only proof of permanent resident status will be the i-551 stamp in your passport.
total green card processing time
Green card processing times vary from case to case based on eligibility category and a number of other factors. According to USCIS historical data, the average processing time for a green card from start to finish is approximately 11 months for family-based and employment-based applications. refugee and asylum cases tend to be slightly faster, at 6.9 and 8.9 months respectively.
However, those numbers correspond to the time it takes uscis to process your green card application (form i-485), not necessarily the time it takes to receive your green card in the mail. Depending on the category of eligibility, the applicant may have to wait several months or several years for an immigrant visa to become available, as USCIS cannot issue a green card until a visa number is attached.
Call our immigration team at (480) 626-2388 to discuss your case today.