US increases extension period for certain green card renewal applicants

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced it will automatically be extending the validity of Green Cards for those who have applied for renewals.

“Lawful permanent residents who properly file Form I-90 to renew an expiring or expired green card may receive this extension. Form I-90 receipt notices had previously provided a 12-month extension of the validity of a green card,” USCIS states.

Indians are among the top beneficiaries of green cards. During fiscal 2021, nearly 93,450 Indians obtained a green card.


According to a Times of India report, the processing time for employer sponsored green cards crossed the three-year wait time in 2022.

Paying a $2,500 fee could cut this wait by at least seven months, bringing it down to “only” 2 years and 5 months. The government has added nearly 16 months to the average green card process since 2016, with more than a year added in 2021 and 2022 alone.

Employer sponsored immigrants go through six steps including a prefiling stage that requires the applicant and employer to provide documents to prove their eligibility for a green card.