You can renew a U.S. green card starting six months before it expires. USCIS treats a Permanent Resident Card as eligible for replacement once it is expired, or will expire within the next six months, and Form I-90 is the form that starts the process.
The six-month filing window
USCIS’s own guidance on replacing a green card lists “your Green Card is either expired or will expire within the next six months” as a trigger to file. That six-month mark is the earliest point most lawful permanent residents should submit Form I-90 for a renewal. There is one variation worth knowing: if you are outside the United States and your card will expire within six months, but you plan to return within a year of leaving and before the card expires, USCIS says to file Form I-90 as soon as you are back in the country, not from abroad.
How to file Form I-90
You can file Form I-90 two ways: online or by mail. Filing online requires a USCIS online account, which also lets you pay the fee online, check your case status, get notifications and updates, and respond to any request for evidence. Filing by mail means sending the paper form to USCIS’s Phoenix, Arizona lockbox (or the Tempe, Arizona address for FedEx, UPS, and DHL). The current filing fee is listed on USCIS’s Fee Schedule page, since it can change. Note that Form I-90 is only for lawful permanent residents and unconditional replacements; conditional permanent residents renew using Form I-751 or Form I-829 instead.
What bridges you while you wait: the receipt notice
Once USCIS accepts your Form I-90, the receipt notice is not just a confirmation. Paired with your expired green card, it serves as evidence of your lawful permanent resident status for 36 months from the card’s expiration date, and it keeps you authorized to work and travel during that time. If you no longer have the physical card, USCIS may issue an ADIT stamp as interim proof after you file.
Why letting it lapse hurts
An expired card on its own, with no I-90 on file, stops functioning as reliable proof of status for employers, airlines, and other institutions that check it. Filing before the six-month mark is what keeps that receipt notice, and the protection it provides, in place before you actually need it.
FAQ
How early can I file to renew my green card? Up to six months before it expires, per USCIS’s own guidance for lawful permanent residents.
What proves my status while I wait for the new card? The Form I-90 receipt notice, shown together with your expired card, counts as evidence of status and work/travel authorization for 36 months from the expiration date.
Can I file Form I-90 online? Yes, through a USCIS online account. Filing by mail to the USCIS lockbox remains available too.
The same idea, asking for more time before you are forced to, applies to US federal taxes too: the IRS lets you request a tax extension if you need more time to file your return. It also applies to a driver’s license: if yours is lost or damaged rather than expiring, you want a replacement, not a renewal, since renewing and replacing work differently and only one of them changes your expiration date.
Don’t let the six-month window sneak up on you
Put your green card’s expiration date in LapseGuard and get reminded early enough to file, gather documents, and avoid a gap in your proof of status. Add your date in seconds. Free, on your device, no account.
Related reading: Residence permit renewals without the préfecture panic and How early can you renew a passport?