Green Card How Do I Replace My Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)? What is a Permanent Resident Card? A Permanent Resident Card, commonly known as a Green Card, is evidence of your status as a lawful permanent resident with a right to live and work permanently in the United States. It also is evidence of your registration in accordance with United States immigration laws. The Permanent Resident Card is also called USCIS Form I-551 . Eligibility Information: Who May Apply to Become a Lawful Permanent Resident While in the United States? You may be eligible to apply for adjustment to permanent resident status if you are already in the United States and if one or more of the following categories apply to you.   Family Member You are the spouse, parent, unmarried child under age 21, the unmarried son or daughter over age 21, the married son or daughter, or the brother or sister of a United States citizen and have a visa petition approved in your behalf. You are the spouse or unmarried son or daughter of any age of a lawful permanent resident and you have a family-based visa petition approved in your behalf. Employment You are an alien who has an approved visa petition filed in your behalf by a United States employer. For more information on how an employee can become an immigrant, please see How Do I Apply for Immigrant Status Based on Employment? In addition, please see our list of “How Do I” pages which provide information on bringing relatives (Parents, Spouses, Siblings, Children) to live in the United States.   Visa Number If you are a Family- or Employment-based applicant, you must have an immigrant visa number available from the State Department unless you are in a category that is exempt from numerical limitations. Immediate relatives of United States citizens are exempt from this requirement. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are parents, spouses, and unmarried children under 21. (For instance, you can apply to adjust to permanent resident status at the same time that your U.S. citizen daughter files an application for you to become an immigrant.) Other immigrant categories that are exempt from numerical limitations and do not need a visa number include special immigrant juvenile and special immigrant military petitions. For more information on immigrant visa numbers, see How Do I Get an Immigrant Visa Number? Also see How Do I Bring My Spouse to the United States to Live? How Do I Bring My Child to the United States to Live? and How Do I Bring My Parents to the United States to Live? USCIS Form I-360 provides more information on special immigrant juvenile and special immigrant military petitions. For the unmarried son or daughter (over 21 years of age) of a US Citizen, brother or sister of a US Citizen, or the spouse or children of lawful permanent residents, visa numbers are limited by law every year. This means that even if the USCIS approves an immigrant visa petition for you, you may not get an immigrant visa number immediately. In some cases, several years could pass between the time the USCIS approves your immigrant visa petition and the State Department gives you an immigrant visa number. For more information on visa numbers, please see How Do I Get an Immigrant Visa Number?   Fiance(e) You were a fiancé who was admitted to the United States on a K-1 visa and then married the U.S. citizen who applied for the K-1 visa for you. (If you married the U.S. citizen but not within the 90-day time limit, your spouse also must now file USCIS Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative ). Your unmarried, minor children are also eligible for adjustment of status. See How Do I Bring My Fiancé to the United States? for more information. If you did not marry the U.S. citizen who filed the K-1 petition in your behalf, or if you married another U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, you are not eligible to adjust status in the United States.   Asylee You are an asylee or refugee who has been in the United States for at least a year after being given asylum or refugee status and still qualify for asylum or refugee status. See Asylee or Refugee Seeking Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) Status, How Do I Apply for Asylum?, and How Do I Get Resettled in the United States as a Refugee? for more information.   Diversity Visa You received notice from the Department of State that you have won a visa in the Diversity Visa Lottery   Cuban Citizen You are a Cuban citizen or native who has been in the U.S. for at least a year after being inspected, admitted, or paroled into the United States. Your spouse and children who are residing with you in the United States may also be eligible for adjustment of status. U.S. Resident Since Before 01/01/72 You have been a continuous resident of the United States since before January 1, 1972. See 8 CFR 249.2(a), under “Jurisdiction.” Other Nationality-Based Programs Parent’s LPR Status Your parent became a lawful permanent resident after you were born. You may be eligible to receive following-to-join benefits if you are the unmarried child under age 21 of the lawful permanent resident. In these cases, you may apply to adjust to permanent resident status at the same time that your parent applies for following-to-join benefits for you. For more information, see How Do I Bring My Children to the United States to Live?   Spouse’s LPR Status Your spouse became a lawful permanent resident after you were married. You may be eligible to receive following-to-join benefits. In these cases, you may apply to adjust to permanent resident status at the same time that your spouse applies for following-to-join benefits for you. For more information, see How Do I Bring My Spouse to the United States to Live?   Otherwise Eligible Immediate Relatives If "otherwise eligible" to immigrate to the U.S., immediate relatives may adjust status to LPR (get a "green card") in the United States even if they may have done any of the following: worked without permission, remained in the U.S. past the period of lawful admission (e.g., past the expiration date on your I-94) and filed for adjustment of status while in an unlawful status because of that, failed otherwise to maintain lawful status and with the proper immigration documentation, or have been admitted as a visitor without a visa under sections 212(l) or 217 of the Act (which are the 15-day admission under the Guam visa waiver program and the 90-day admission under the Visa Waiver Program, respectively). Please note: If a person came into the U.S. illegally, that person is barred from adjusting their status to LPR (cannot obtain a green card) even if he or she marries a U.S. citizen or otherwise becomes an immediate relative. An immediate relative must meet the eligibility requirement of being “inspected and admitted or paroled into the United States.” Who Needs to Replace a Permanent Resident Card? You will need to replace your permanent resident card if: Your previous card was lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed; Your card was issued to you before you were 14 and you have reached your 14th birthday; You have been a commuter and are now taking up actual residence in the United States; You have been a permanent resident residing in the United States and are now taking up commuter status; Your status has been automatically converted to permanent resident status, this includes Special Agricultural Worker applicants who are converting to permanent resident status; You have a previous version of the alien registration card (e.g., USCIS Form AR-3, Form AR-103, or Form I-151  - all no longer valid to prove your immigration status) and must replace it with the current permanent resident card (Form I-551); Your card contains incorrect data; Your name or other biographic information on the card has been legally changed since you last received your card; or, You never received the previous card that was issued to you by the USCIS. What Does the Law Say? Section 264 of the Immigration and Nationality Act provides that, "Every alien in the United States … shall be issued a certificate of alien registration or an alien registration receipt card in such form and manner and at such time as shall be prescribed under regulations...." It also states, "Every alien, eighteen years of age and over, shall at all times carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card issued to him.... Any alien who fails to comply with [these] provisions shall be guilty of a misdemeanor" and may be subject to fine and/or imprisonment upon each conviction. The specific requirements and procedures for applying to replace a permanent resident card are included in the Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] at 8 CFR § 264.5. Please note: If you are a conditional resident and your status is expiring, these instructions do not pertain to you. You are to use USCIS Form I-751 (Petition to Remove the Conditions on Residence) to apply to remove the conditions on your permanent resident status.(Form I-751 Instruction) How Do I Apply to Replace My Permanent Resident Card?  If you are a permanent resident, who needs to replace your card, or conditional resident who needs to replace your two-year card, for any of the reasons listed above, you may apply for a replacement card by filing a USCISForm I-90. A Form I-90  can be downloaded from this site, or ordered by calling the USCIS Forms request line at 1 (800) 870-3676, or by submitting a request on-line here. After receiving Form I-90, read it carefully. Detailed information is provided in the instructions for Form I-90 . Applicants may also file Form I-90 on-line using an Internet connection. Please see Introduction to E-Filing. If you are outside the U.S. and have lost your alien registration card, contact the nearest American Consulate, USCIS Office or Port of Entry before attempting to file a Form I-90. If your Form I-90 application is approved, you will be mailed a replacement Permanent Resident Card, Form I-551 , with a ten-year expiration date from the date of issuance. How Can I Find Out the Status of My Application? If you have immigration-related questions, you may call the USCIS National Customer Service Center (NCSCS) at 1-800-375-5283. You should be prepared to provide the USCIS staff with specific information about your application, such as your receipt number, your Alien Registration Number, name, and date of birth. Or, you may check the status of your application online at Case Status Online. Please remember that an E-Filed receipt number may not be available through Case Status Online for 72 hours. If My Application is Denied, How Can I Appeal? If your application for a replacement alien registration card is denied, you will receive a letter that will tell you why the application was denied. You will not be allowed to appeal a negative decision. However, you may submit a motion to reopen or a motion to reconsider with the same office that made the unfavorable decision. By filing such a motion, you may ask the office to reexamine or reconsider its decision. A motion to reopen must state the new facts that are to be provided in the reopened proceeding and must be accompanied by the appropriate documentary evidence. A motion to reconsider must establish that the decision to deny your application was based on an incorrect application of law or USCIS policy, and further establish that the decision was incorrect based on the evidence in the file at the time the decision was made. For more information, please see How Do I Appeal the Denial of Petition or Application which provides information on how to file a motion to reopen or a motion to reconsider. Can Anyone Help Me? If advice is needed, you may contact the USCIS District Office near your home for a list of organizations that may be able to assist you with the preparation of your application. Please click here for more information on USCIS field offices; then, see the bottom of the About Us section for the field office serving your area for a listing of assistance organizations.