DallasBill

Time to do it, or else you may face a fine if this goes through...

"Aug 22, 6:01 PM (ET) - Hundreds of thousands of legal residents whose green cards don't have expiration dates may have to pay $370 to replace them, or risk criminal penalties.

A division of the Homeland Security Department on Wednesday proposed requiring legal residents with those cards to pay a $290 replacement application fee plus $80 for electronic fingerprints and a photo.

Those who repeatedly fail to comply face up to 30 days in prison and a $100 fine, under the proposal.

Citizenship and Immigration Services estimates about 750,000 legal permanent U.S. residents were issued green cards between 1977 and 1989 that lack expiration dates.

......................

If they fail to apply for a replacement, their green cards would eventually be terminated on a date to be set later. A terminated card would not invalidate an immigrant's status as a legal resident, but could make it hard to travel or get a new job."


More here.

Global_Hi_Flyer

Notice how they didn't require this until just after the fees were raised.

Jenniferpa

Thank you Dallasbill for that. So as I thought, it is not yet a legal requirement. Not an unexpected proposal by any means, but not actually in force yet.

Jennifer

P.S. While my photo definitely needs updating, I'm not quirte sure why one's fingerprints would. Particularly bearing in mind that they have never, ever used the fingerprint on the card to verify my identity.

Xyzzy

It appears you now have to pay for the privilege of having your fingerprints digitized.

Also of note from later in the same story:How typically bureaucratic that sounds!

peterrw

Green cards I551 with no expiration date are valid indefinitely!

Download the USCIS Employers Handbook M-274 Rev 04/03/2009 and see page 46 for the definitive statement. Note the REV date!

I am currently in the naturalization application process having been a permanent resident since 1982, and have checked with the INS during my two interviews and on both occasions the officers have stated in no uncertain terms our cards are valid indefinitely.

I hopes this helps someone.

Peter

mre5765

I have one of those green cards from 1985. Such a green card is valid despite what you have been told. There is noise about requiring holders of such cards to get new ones, but it never happens. If didn't happen under Bush, I don't see it happening under Obama.

Several times CBP officers would tell me that I need to get it replaced. Each time I would go to the DHS website and find out they were telling lies.

One time I got so tired of it, I tried to decipher the process and the DHS website provided nothing but confusion. And I ignored it for several years.

However, in 2008, after a rather ugly crossing at YYC, I re-visited the DHS website and found that they had clarified the procedure. It was rather painless other than the cash they took from me, and spending all day driving to and from Denver one Saturday to have my biometrics taken.

There is one advantage to the new green cards: they are machine readable and so can be used for Global Entry kiosks.

Note however that the form to get a replacement green card asks some questions which if you answer yes might put your status at risk. E.g. a traffic ticket over $500 (which is really easy these days).

I applied for a replacement card on the assumption they'd find some reason to deport me, and was pleasantly surprised to get a new card.


Wow you travel within the USA without a green card? Bad idea and perhaps against the law.
Bad idea. CBP knows you have the new card. The old card is probably just a souvenir. Probably useless for crossing borders or proving status with the CBP (who now post checkpoints well within the country and expect green card holders to actually hold and handover the cards for review).

Ari

Can you explain your logic?

mre5765

My logic?

I can attempt to relate CBP logic.

The card has been officially replaced with the modern one with the magnetic strip, machine readable symbols and various counterfeit proofing attributes. The CBP knows the card has been replaced. In the words of the CBP officer who interrogated me for Global Entry, the old card is just a souvenir. (This was prompted by a question from the CBP officer as whether CBP gives me hard time; I respond yes, until I had the old card replaced.)

peace222

How to re-enter USA, My "Green card" has no expiration date?‏

My name is Jawed and I graduated from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. I am a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. My green card was issued in 1978, at the point when there was no expiration date placed on them. I came back to my home country in 1980's and now after nearly 32 years, I want to come back to USA . Kindly tell me how to enter in USA and how to apply for my new permanent resident card. I have few questions. Kindly answer them.

1) Can I enter to USA with my existing green card and then apply for a new permanent resident card by filing Form I-90, along with the filing and biometric fees.?
2) If not, Should I have to come on Visit visa first and then apply for my new permanent resident card ?
3) Would I be able to e-file (online)?
4) What is the correct and complete procedure to re-enter USA in my situation ?

Waiting for your reply.

Thank you.
Regards,
Jawed.

cestmoi123

Jawed, you need to contact an immigration attorney. Generally (and I do say generally, this isn't a hard and fast rule), spending one year abroad can be regarded as abandoning your permanent resident status. I think that 32 years would VERY likely be regarded as abandonment.

See below: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/usc...00082ca60aRCRD

Firebug4

You do not say how you originally qualified for Lawful Permanent Resident status. You have not lived in the United States for the past thirty two years. You have legally abandoned your Lawful Permanent Resident status. There are several options at this point.

You could goto the American Embassy and tell them your story and that you wish to return to reside in the United States. The consulate officer will either do the required paperwork and issue you a SB-1 visa. You would then bring that visa to the US with you and CBP would process you in and you would receive a new card. OR

The consulate officer would tell you that you have to go through the whole process over again which would require someone or some entity petitioning for you.

It would all depend upon the circumstances of your particular story.

You are not going to be able to come on a tourist visa and then just apply for a new LPR card nor do I suggest attempting to just enter on the old card. CBP will understand about staying out over the one year limit to a point Thirty Two years is a bit past that point.

FB

peace222

@ Firebug4 and cestmoi123

Thank you for the reply. If this is the case then how come Original Poster (Jennifer) could travel to USA without any problem after 13 years, Which again is a long time and it breaks your mentioned rule of 1-2 year staying away and abandoning etc?

I've seen some cases here on the internet and came to know that people can enter into USA legally but at the airport they write on the green card that it should be renewed and one cannot enter the second time with the same card. Then we have to apply for a new card. According to the rules, If a card doesn't have an expiry date, I think it's still valid


@ Firebug4

If I apply for SB-1 visa from my home country Pakistan. Will they take my original green card and social security card ? What if they take the original one and don't give me back by replying that it's canceled and if I could enter USA without going through all this hassle and solve my problem myself inside USA ? What can I do then ? People here are not good and I don't think that they will try to help me in my situation.

Can I just solve this case directly from US immigration office ?

What will happen if I just buy a ticket and enter in USA legally like other people do who got green cards without any expiry date?



"Quote from Jenniferpa on 1st page"
Ah, that makes more sense. Mind you that means mine has been expired for 13 years, and having entered the country 12 seperate times in the last 2 years, this is the first time anyone has indicated it needed to be renewed. Darn, yet another decision to make: renew or go the citizenship route. Thanks for your help.

Ari

Those are different issues. When one's green card expires and abandoning one's LPR status have nothing to do with each other. You can have a card issued in 2009 that expires in 2019 and abandon your status by sepnding 2011-2013 out of the country. So the fact that you happen to have a card without an expiration date doesn't help you. Like FB said, you have to go to a consulate or embassy. After 32 years, you might have to start the process all over again.

If you just show up with that 'unexpired' Green Card and tell them you're back after 32 years, you'll probably end up in removal proceedings if they admit you at all. (Being in removal proceedings doesn't mean you'll be worse off than going the Embassy route depending on your circumstances, but it isn't the proper and legal way to go about things).

ylF

From the government site https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det...xpiration-date

Thus, as of May, 2013 the cards issued between 1979 and 1989 are still valid and do not need to be renewed. Of course if you want to renew it especially if you want to use the GE Kiosk.

As of all the talk in the past that they automatically expire in 10 years even if there is no expiration date, well it was just that-all talk.

Until further notice, the cards without expiration date are still valid and it is NOT mandatory to renew them.

5khours

Anybody know if USCIS is still making noise about trying to get a requirement to have these replaced?