The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services sets an expiration date of 10 years for most green cards. While this may seem like plenty of time, this day may come around sooner than you realize. And when it does, you should have already taken the proper steps towards formally renewing it. Read on to discover what to do if your green card expires or is set to expire and how a seasoned Baltimore County, Maryland green cards lawyer at Sheri Hoidra Law Office, LLC can help legally renew it.
What can I do if my green card expires or is set to expire?
The official way to renew your expired or almost expired green card is by filing Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card. It is almost always recommended that you begin working on this application at least six months before your green card is set to expire. This is because gathering all the necessary information and supporting evidence may take longer than anticipated. Plus, it may take a while to come up with the $465 required to file it.
On another note, you may file this application online by creating a USCIS online account of by mail via the United States Postal Service, FedEx, UPS, or DHL. Also, if you did not file this application before leaving the United States, you may have to visit a United States consulate, United States port of entry, or USCIS office first.
What can I do if my renewal application gets denied?
You must be wary of the possibility that your Form I-90 may get denied. Potential reasons for its denial are as follows:
- The USCIS may have concluded that you filed too early.
- The USCIS may have concluded that you forgot pivotal pieces of information in your application.
- The USCIS may have concluded that you provided fraudulent pieces of information in your application.
- The USCIS may have concluded that you failed to pay income taxes during your stay in the United States.
- The USCIS may have concluded that you were convicted of a criminal act during your stay in the United States.
Sadly, you may be unable to file an appeal on USCIS’s decision to deny your Form I-90. However, you may file a motion to report or review the USCIS office that made this decision. With your motion, you must offer new information demonstrating why this decision should be reevaluated. That is, your overall argument may be that the USCIS office committed an incorrect application of law or based their decision on incorrect evidence.
To allow for the best outcome to be reached, you may retain the services of a competent Baltimore County, Maryland immigration lawyer. Contact Sheri Hoidra Law Office, LLC today.
