My alien card is an old version from 1980 with no expiration date taken when I was 1.5 yrs old. I never knew that I had to renew it or anything since there was no expiration date on it. I want to apply for my citizenship. My question is, do I need to renew my card and get an updated version in order to apply for my citizenship? Or can I go through the process using my old version alien card? Thanks.
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Alien card/ green card, OLD version
- Thread starter stangin'
- Start date
1. My green card was issued in 1983 with no expiration date (“lifetime”).
2. In the mid 1990s, the then INS started issuing ten-year renewable green cards.
3. I never received any official notification about changing it and never had any comment from a USCIS immigration officer at airports until a couple of years ago.
4. I applied for naturalization in August of last year (2006)
5. When I returned from overseas in January of this year (2007), the immigration officer was quite hostile and said “you need to change this or “they” will take it away from you”.
6. I then said that I have applied for naturalization (still in name-check at the time) and he was mollified and let me on through with no hassle.
7. When I went for my naturalization interview last month, I showed my green card and handed over a copy but the issue of it being a “lifetime” version never came up.
8. I have looked on the internet to see if there ever truly was an official, documented rule or requirement that the old ones needed to be replaced by a ten-year version. I never found such a rule (which does not mean to say that one did not exist).
9. I have a suspicion that it was an “unwritten” rule that some immigration officers cared about, others did not.
10. The reason for the increased interest in this situation by the USCIS is, presumably, part of the post-9/11 fallout.
Bottom line for you:
• Go ahead and apply for citizenship.
• Do not both to renew your green card (an unnecessary and time-consuming delay).
• Keep a copy of your Priority Number/Date letter with your passport and green card to show any IO if you decide to travel overseas during your application process.
I hope this helps.
2. In the mid 1990s, the then INS started issuing ten-year renewable green cards.
3. I never received any official notification about changing it and never had any comment from a USCIS immigration officer at airports until a couple of years ago.
4. I applied for naturalization in August of last year (2006)
5. When I returned from overseas in January of this year (2007), the immigration officer was quite hostile and said “you need to change this or “they” will take it away from you”.
6. I then said that I have applied for naturalization (still in name-check at the time) and he was mollified and let me on through with no hassle.
7. When I went for my naturalization interview last month, I showed my green card and handed over a copy but the issue of it being a “lifetime” version never came up.
8. I have looked on the internet to see if there ever truly was an official, documented rule or requirement that the old ones needed to be replaced by a ten-year version. I never found such a rule (which does not mean to say that one did not exist).
9. I have a suspicion that it was an “unwritten” rule that some immigration officers cared about, others did not.
10. The reason for the increased interest in this situation by the USCIS is, presumably, part of the post-9/11 fallout.
Bottom line for you:
• Go ahead and apply for citizenship.
• Do not both to renew your green card (an unnecessary and time-consuming delay).
• Keep a copy of your Priority Number/Date letter with your passport and green card to show any IO if you decide to travel overseas during your application process.
I hope this helps.