The U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Service (USCIS) has announced an important policy change for lawful permanent residents seeking to renew their green card. Starting in September 2023, USCIS will automatically extend green card validity to 36 months for applicants who file Form I-90, which is used to replace an expiring or expired card.

“On September 10, USCIS began printing amended receipts for individuals with a pending Form I-90. These receipts can be presented along with an expired green card as proof of continued status and work authorization,” USCIS said.

In the past, the validity extension was limited to 24 months, resulting in many applicants not having sufficient proof of their lawful status while waiting for the extension. By extending the validity to 36 months, USCIS intends to shorten the long processing delays that many green card holders have experienced.

This update applies to individuals who have already filed or will soon file Form I-90. Those who filed their applications before the change can expect to receive modified receipt notices that reflect the new 36-month validity period. The receipt notices, which confirm the filing of Form I-90, can be used along with expired green cards to prove lawful permanent resident status and work eligibility.

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This change comes at a time when many immigration applicants are facing longer wait times due to increasing demand for green cards.

After five years of holding a green card, individuals can apply for U.S. citizenship. For those married to U.S. citizens, the waiting period is reduced to three years. However, for many Indians, the wait for a green card can stretch for decades, making the path to citizenship difficult. In fiscal year 2023, about 870,000 foreign nationals became U.S. citizens, a decrease from the 970,000 in the previous year. Among these new citizens, over 110,000 were Mexicans, accounting for 12.7% of the total, while about 59,100 Indians (6.7%) came in second. The Philippines accounted for 44,800 new citizens, while other countries like the Dominican Republic and Cuba contributed a total of 32%. According to the USCIS annual report, naturalizations in 2022 and 2023 accounted for nearly 25% of the last decade’s total.