Green Card is expiring in Two months, Applying N-400

T

Tvdie23

Registered Users (C)
Hi all,

I got a mix answers on google about applying Naturalization with expiring green card.
Some say, it is ok. Some say, it needs to be renew.
green-card-renewal website (Bottom of the page stated I need to renew GC)

My Green Card is going to expire on March 11 2011.
My N-400 is ready to mail, just need stamps.
I am not planning to travel out of country anytime soon.
My film making freelance jobs doesn't require un-expired GC.

Do I need to renew my Green Card before applying Naturalization?

Thank you in advance.
 
If you file two applications at the same time, BOTH of which require your A-file, at seperate locations, you will cause an internal tug-of-war for the file which will cause delays in the processing of BOTH applications.
 
Hi BigJoe,
My question is Do I need to renew my Green Card before applying Naturalization because some said it is ok to have a expired Green Card.
I am trying to save some money not to renew my Green Card. Just go straight to Naturalization.

Thanks
 
Tvdie23 said:
Hi BigJoe,
My question is Do I need to renew my Green Card before applying Naturalization because some said it is ok to have a expired Green Card.
I am trying to save some money not to renew my Green Card. Just go straight to Naturalization.

Thanks
Click to expand...

USCIS says, "apply for citizenship or renew your card atleast 6 months before your current card expires."
Since your timeline has already passed the 6 months, just apply for citizenship. Don't worry about renewing your green card as it's still active for 2 more months.

Again, please do not apply for naturalization if you're only renewing your green card. DO one of those two options. Don't do them both together.
 
preeti2 said:
Since your timeline has already passed the 6 months, just apply for citizenship. Don't worry about renewing your green card as it's still active for 2 more months.
Click to expand...
What USCIS says is "If you apply for naturalization less than 6 months before the expiration date of your Permanent Resident Card, or you do not apply for naturalization until your card has already expired, you must renew your card."

http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/M-476.pdf

Therefore, the IO must renew GC if applying for naturalization.

The possible delays caused by A-file tug of war when applying for naturalization and GC simultaneously are minimal when compared to having to first wait to receive renewed GC before applying for naturalization. Plus, USCIS will eventually (if they haven't already started) digitize A files via IDDMP, thereby making A-file accessible to simultaneous requests and eliminating the possibility of such delays.
 
booobsmyth

then i guess congratulations to the poster who just costed herself an extra fortune of 450 bucks... thanks for correcting me
 
Tvdie23 said:
My film making freelance jobs doesn't require un-expired GC.
Click to expand...
Other jobs don't require showing the GC either, as long as you have a Social Security card without the employment restriction wording.

Do I need to renew my Green Card before applying Naturalization?
Click to expand...

Technically you're supposed to renew it if there are less than 6 months remaining on the GC when you apply for naturalization. Most interviewers probably will accept a recently expired card, but a strict interviewer could refuse to accept the expired GC, and demand that you apply for the renewal and put your case on hold until you submit proof of having applied for the renewal.

So you can either go ahead and apply for renewal, or don't renew it and hope that you don't run into a strict interviewer.
 
ok. Thanks guys.
I will apply GC Renewal online today. And mail out the N-400 form tomorrow morning.

How long will it take for GC renewal to process? Will I able to get the new card before interview or will it show up on the computer it is in process.
 
Tvdie23 said:
ok. Thanks guys.
I will apply GC Renewal online today. And mail out the N-400 form tomorrow morning.

How long will it take for GC renewal to process? Will I able to get the new card before interview or will it show up on the computer it is in process.
Click to expand...

the green card process takes 3 months to complete. it might be 2 months depending on the cases ahead of you.
 
It's a Racket if you ask me ....i guess its the last shake before you divorce there greedy backsides
 
I had the same questions. I have filed the N-400 (in January 2011) and have a biometrics appt in 2 weeks. By my estimation my interview will be approx 4 weeks after the bio and the interview another month or so after that. In the meantime I have 2 pending overseas trips. To complicate things my green card expired in Dec 2010. I telephoned and spoke to an officer at the USCIS - she informed me I must have applied for my green card renewal before the citizenship interview (a receipt showing I have applied is sufficient) even though the chances are the citizenship will come through around the same time as the green card is sent to me. There is no problem with travelling during this process, she advised that it will be necessary to carry the green card renewal receipt, the expired card and the paperwork for the N400 application with me to show at airport immigration. It is also okay to reschedule the interview and/or oath ceremony if necessary but must be done before the scheduled dates. So at least I now know I can travel without a problem but have to fork out another $450.00 for the new green card which will never be used.
 
Tvdie23 said:
How long will it take for GC renewal to process?
Click to expand...
The usual time frame is 2-4 months, but for some people it takes 5 or 6 months.

Will I able to get the new card before interview or will it show up on the computer it is in process.
Click to expand...

If you don't get the card before the interview, bring the old card and the I-90 receipt notice and you'll be OK.
 
marieinnh said:
I had the same questions. I have filed the N-400 (in January 2011) and have a biometrics appt in 2 weeks. By my estimation my interview will be approx 4 weeks after the bio and the interview another month or so after that. In the meantime I have 2 pending overseas trips. To complicate things my green card expired in Dec 2010. I telephoned and spoke to an officer at the USCIS - she informed me I must have applied for my green card renewal before the citizenship interview (a receipt showing I have applied is sufficient) even though the chances are the citizenship will come through around the same time as the green card is sent to me. There is no problem with travelling during this process, she advised that it will be necessary to carry the green card renewal receipt, the expired card and the paperwork for the N400 application with me to show at airport immigration. It is also okay to reschedule the interview and/or oath ceremony if necessary but must be done before the scheduled dates. So at least I now know I can travel without a problem but have to fork out another $450.00 for the new green card which will never be used.
Click to expand...

If you wanted to avoid paying for the renewal, you should have applied for naturalization in June 2010 or before (i.e. at least 6 months before the GC expired). That way you would have been eligible for a free I-551 stamp in your passport if your naturalization was still pending when the GC expired.
 
My Greencard is expiring in May 2011. Am I too late to apply now? I have not applied for Citizenship.
 
Tvdie23 said:
Hi all,

I got a mix answers on google about applying Naturalization with expiring green card.
Some say, it is ok. Some say, it needs to be renew.
green-card-renewal website (Bottom of the page stated I need to renew GC)

My Green Card is going to expire on March 11 2011.
My N-400 is ready to mail, just need stamps.
I am not planning to travel out of country anytime soon.
My film making freelance jobs doesn't require un-expired GC.

Do I need to renew my Green Card before applying Naturalization?

Thank you in advance.
Click to expand...

My wife's GC expired last year in march , we sent the N-400 application last year at the end of january ( about a month and a half before the expiration date ).
When she went to the biometric appointment , someone made her aware that her card had expired and she was fine until the interview .
The IO at the interview had no problem with it .
So our experience is that if you have at least a month or two left on your GC and if your application is accepted when you send it by mail , you will be ok .
 
jj154728 said:
My Greencard is expiring in May 2011. Am I too late to apply now? I have not applied for Citizenship.
Click to expand...

It's not too late to apply for GC renewal or citizenship. But it's too late to get a free I-551 stamp if your green card expires while your naturalization process is pending.
 
big-bird said:
My wife's GC expired last year in march , we sent the N-400 application last year at the end of january ( about a month and a half before the expiration date ).
When she went to the biometric appointment , someone made her aware that her card had expired and she was fine until the interview .
The IO at the interview had no problem with it .
So our experience is that if you have at least a month or two left on your GC and if your application is accepted when you send it by mail , you will be ok .
Click to expand...
Not necessarily. It depends on the IO. A strict IO could demand that you apply for renewal, if your green card expired before the interview and your N-400 was filed when there was less than 6 months remaining on the GC.
 
I have just been through this process. My card expired last December and I sent my N-400 application in at the beginning of January. I called the USCIS and asked if I needed to have a current green card. I was told that I did, so sent off my application for renewal. When I went for the fingerprinting appointment they automatically put a sticker on my green card, extending it for 6 months and telling me I was okay to travel with that sticker. I still had to pay for two biometric appointments even though they did the prints for both applications at the same time.
 
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