13 Year Greencard?

[travelchick747]

I received my GC in 2004 and the expiry date shows 2017.

All over the USCIS website it speaks of a 10 year GC.

Is this a special type of GC? A typo? A blessing?

I noticed that I wasn't the only one with this type of GC by doing a search on this site.
I came to this country as an adult through marriage.

 

[Jackolantern]

It's a typo. The consequences could be meaningless or severe depending on the facts of your situation.

Did you get the green card by marrying somebody who was already a US citizen or green card holder before you married them? Did you complete at least 2 years of marriage before your green card was approved?

 

[travelchick747]

It's a typo. The consequences could be meaningless or severe depending on the facts of your situation.

Did you get the green card by marrying somebody who was already a US citizen or green card holder before you married them? Did you complete at least 2 years of marriage before your green card was approved?

I did get the greencard by marrying someone who was a US Citizen.
If this is a typo, why am I not the only one?
I've seen it questioned before in this forum.

 

[Jackolantern]

If this is a typo, why am I not the only one?

If it's a system glitch it could affect many people.

Did you complete at least 2 years of marriage before your green card was approved?

If the answer is YES, your permanent resident status is for life, so although the card should have been 10 years it's not a big deal that it says 13 years. You can ignore the fact that it's 13 years unless somebody in Immigration gives you a problem about it.

If the answer is NO, that could be a big problem because that means you should have received a 2-year conditional card, and should have filed I-751 by 2006 (i.e. 2 years after the card was approved) to remove conditions and extend your permanent resident status beyond 2 years. By failing to file the I-751, you've technically been in the US illegally since 2006.

For the above statement, I'm assuming the card you have now is the one and only green card you ever received. If that assumption is wrong, please explain when you received the previous green card and when you received the current one that's in your hand.

 

[travelchick747]

Thanks for the details.
My husband and I started the process in 2002.
Rec'd my fiance visa and I honestly don't remember alllllllll the form #s that we filled out but we did indeed go through the proper process.
I immigrated on Christmas day on 2003.
We married on Dec 31, 2003.
May 2004 we went for the interview and shortly thereafter I got my card with a 2017 expiry date.
Perhaps, I'll give them a call to see if there was a glitch or something different about my situation that I am unaware of.
I would hate to have any delays coming back into the US.

 

[Jackolantern]

Thanks for the details.
My husband and I started the process in 2002.
Rec'd my fiance visa and I honestly don't remember alllllllll the form #s that we filled out but we did indeed go through the proper process.
I immigrated on Christmas day on 2003.

Or more accurately, you entered the US on Christmas day 2003, you didn't immigrate yet (you had non-immigrant status at that time because you entered with a K1 visa and your green card wasn't approved yet).

We married on Dec 31, 2003.
May 2004 we went for the interview and shortly thereafter I got my card with a 2017 expiry date.

That means you have a big problem, because you were married for less than 2 years when your card was approved, and thus should have received a 2-year card in 2004 and filed I-751 in 2006 to extend it. Now your I-751 is 6 years late! Find an immigration lawyer ASAP, and do not leave the US or apply for citizenship until this is resolved.

Perhaps, I'll give them a call to see if there was a glitch or something different about my situation that I am unaware of.
I would hate to have any delays coming back into the US.

You're outside the US now? Do not call USCIS or do anything else to alert them to this until you're inside the US again and have consulted your attorney.