My green card is expiring but I applied for citizenship. Is it still valid?

This page covers green card validity while a citizenship case is pending. It is for green card holders anywhere in the U.S.; the rules are federal. It is general information, not legal advice. For the full process, see Becoming a U.S. citizen: the complete guide.

Is my green card still valid after it expires?

Yes, for 2 more years, once you have filed your N-400. USCIS says the receipt notice for Form N-400 automatically extends your green card for 2 years from the "Card Expires" date printed on it. This applies to applications filed on or after December 12, 2022 (USCIS N-400 page, checked October 21, 2026).

You do not need to send a separate request. The extension comes with the receipt.

Your status does not expire with the card. The card is your proof of status, not the status itself. Under federal rules, permanent resident status ends only when a final order of exclusion, deportation or removal is entered (8 CFR 1.2). An expired card does not end it.

But you must carry proof. USCIS says every permanent resident must have a valid, unexpired green card "or equivalent documentation" with them at all times, and applying for citizenship does not change that (USCIS I-90 page, checked October 21, 2026). Your expired card plus your N-400 receipt is that documentation for the 2 years.

Do I still need to renew with Form I-90?

Usually not, if your card is only expiring. That is the point of the extension. It saves you a second application and a second fee while you wait for your citizenship case.

You generally still need Form I-90 if:

• Your card is lost, stolen or damaged. The extension covers a card you still have, not one you don't.
• Your N-400 receipt notice is lost or destroyed. USCIS says you then generally must file Form I-90 to renew the expiring card.
• The 2 years are almost over and you have no decision yet. See What if my case takes longer than 2 years?
• Your card has wrong information, or your name changed. USCIS lists these as reasons to replace a card (Replace Your Green Card).

How do I show proof of my status?

Carry your green card and your N-400 receipt notice together. USCIS says to present them together as proof.

• Keep the original receipt in a safe place, and carry a good copy.
• Make extra copies for work, travel and appointments.
• If you filed online, you can see and download your notices in your USCIS online account.
• If you filed on paper, USCIS mails you a notice with instructions to set up an online account. Do it. It is the easiest way to get a copy if the paper is lost.

What do I show an employer?

Your expired green card plus your N-400 receipt notice. E-Verify, run by USCIS, tells employers that a permanent resident may show the receipt notice together with the expired card as a List A document for Form I-9. The employer enters an expiration date 24 months after the "Card Expires" date (E-Verify notice).

If HR is not sure, show them that E-Verify page. You can also choose to show other documents from the Form I-9 lists, such as an unexpired driver's license plus a Social Security card. An employer may not insist on one specific document. See Your rights when an employer checks your papers.

What if my card already expired before I filed?

The extension counts from the "Card Expires" date, not from the day you filed. So a card that expired a while ago gets less time. If the card expired more than 2 years before you filed, the 2 years have already run out by the time you get the receipt.

If your card expired long ago, file Form I-90 too, or ask a clinic. USCIS says a permanent resident should replace a card that has expired or will expire within six months. Your status did not end, but you need current proof.

What if my case takes longer than 2 years?

Processing times vary by office. Check your office on the USCIS processing times page. The tool sits behind a security check, so we do not quote current times here.

If your 2 years are close to running out and you have no decision:

1. File Form I-90 to renew the card. USCIS says the I-90 receipt notice, shown with your expired card, proves your status, work and travel permission for 36 months from the card's expiration date.
2. Need proof right away? After you file Form I-90, USCIS may issue an ADIT stamp (a temporary proof of status stamp) if you do not have your card. Ask through the USCIS Contact Center or 800-375-5283.
3. Ask a clinic if you are unsure which step fits you.

Plan ahead. Mark the end date of your extension on your calendar: the "Card Expires" date plus 2 years. Set a reminder 3 months before it.

What if my card is lost, stolen or damaged?

File Form I-90 to replace it. The N-400 extension does not replace a missing card.

• Edition: 01/20/25. Every page must be from the same edition.
• Fee: $465 on paper or $415 online (USCIS Fee Schedule, checked October 19, 2026). Check the Fee Schedule the day you file.
• Where: online in your USCIS account, or by mail from California to USCIS, Attn: I-90, P.O. Box 21262, Phoenix, AZ 85036-1262 (FedEx, UPS or DHL: USCIS, Attn: I-90 (Box 21262), 2108 E. Elliot Rd., Tempe, AZ 85284-1806).
• Sign it. USCIS rejects unsigned forms, and forms missing your family name, mailing address or date of birth.
• Proof while you wait: if you have no card, USCIS may issue an ADIT stamp after you file.

If your card was stolen, keep a copy of any police report. Stay alert for identity theft. See Warning signs of an immigration scam.

What if I have a 2 year conditional green card?

Do not file Form I-90 for an expiring conditional card. USCIS says conditional residents must file Form I-751 (marriage based) or Form I-829 (investor) to remove conditions, and the I-90 page says not to use Form I-90 for that (USCIS I-90 page).

The I-751 receipt notice has its own extension. USCIS says the receipt extends your status for 48 months (USCIS, removing conditions based on marriage, checked October 21, 2026). Read your own receipt for the exact period. How the N-400 and I-751 extensions work together is a question for a lawyer. See How to remove conditions on your two year green card.

Can I travel with an expired card and my receipt?

You can present your green card and receipt notice together as proof of status. Still, plan carefully:

• Keep trips short while your case is pending. Long trips can hurt your citizenship case. See Will long trips abroad hurt my citizenship application?
• Carry the original receipt, not only a copy.
• Be home for your fingerprint appointment, interview and oath.
• Have a pending criminal case? Do not travel until a lawyer says it is safe. See Green card holders: should I travel abroad with pending criminal charges?

What if my citizenship case is denied?

You can ask USCIS to look again with Form N-336, filed within 30 calendar days of the denial (33 days if the decision came by mail). Late requests are generally rejected. A denial does not end your permanent resident status by itself. But whether the 2 year extension on your N-400 receipt still counts after a denial is not clear from USCIS pages, so talk to a lawyer right away and ask whether to file Form I-90 now. See My citizenship application was denied. What can I do?

What happens to my green card at the oath?

You turn it in. At the oath ceremony, USCIS collects your green card. You leave with your Certificate of Naturalization. From then on, your certificate or a U.S. passport is your proof. See What happens at your citizenship interview and oath ceremony.

What if I move while I wait?

Tell USCIS within 10 days. If USCIS sends your notices to an old address, you can miss your interview. See How to tell USCIS your new address.

An example

This is a made up example to show the steps.

Mei's green card says "Card Expires 03/15/27." She files her N-400 online on November 1, 2026, and her receipt notice comes the same week. Her proof now runs to March 15, 2029 (the card date plus 2 years). She puts a copy of the receipt in her wallet with her card and saves the PDF from her USCIS account.

In January 2027 she starts a new job. She shows HR her expired card and her receipt. HR enters March 15, 2029 as the expiration date on Form I-9.

Her calendar reminder goes off on December 15, 2028. Her case is still pending. She files Form I-90 online. That receipt, with her card, now proves her status for 36 months from March 15, 2027, which is March 15, 2030. In February 2029 she has her interview, and at her oath she turns in the card.

Who can help?

Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service. Details checked October 18, 2026.

• Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA): 650-326-6440. Walk in help Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1861 Bay Road. For low income residents of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.
• Immigration Institute of the Bay Area, Redwood City: free citizenship workshop on the second Tuesday of each month, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Register at (650) 780-7530.
• San Mateo County Immigrant Services: (650) 363-4194, immigrantservices@smcgov.org.
• Santa Clara County: the Office of Immigrant Relations keeps a list of citizenship providers.
• Anywhere in California: the state's map of free immigration legal services, or call (916) 651-8017.
• Outside California: the EOIR list of free legal service providers and the DOJ roster of accredited representatives.

Only attorneys and DOJ accredited representatives may give you legal advice.

Is there a checklist I can print?

Your status did not vanish because a date passed. Keep your papers together, watch your dates, and keep going.