Dear Atty. Lou,
I read in the papers that the US Citizenship and Immigration Services is issuing newly designed green cards as of May 11, 2010. My card is the “pink” card that was issued many years ago and has no expiration date. I will be traveling to Manila in a couple of weeks and I do not know if this old card which is proof of my lawful permanent resident is still valid for travel. Please let me know if I need to renew or replace my card with the newly designed green card
Bob P
Dear Bob,
You raised a valid concern about your old ‘green’ card, which is really pink in color. The very first cards that were issued for lawful permanent resident status in the US were colored green. This is the reason that they were called “green cards”. When the proof of residency cards were re-designed to pink cards, the immigrant community continue to still describe the cards as green cards.
On May 11, 2010, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services will begin issuing redesigned green cards in more secure formats. Aside from making them look really green, the cards contain features that prevents counterfeiting, obstructs tampering and facilitates quick and accurate authentication of the card. According to the USCIS, the major changes to the card are that it contains holographic images, laser engraved fingerprints and high-resolution micro-images which make the card nearly impossible to reproduce. An interesting feature of this card is it Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) that will enable the immigration inspector at the port of entry to read the card from a distance and compare the date is has to the immigration file data. It also has a preprinted return address for easy return in case it gets lost. Like the prior card that it recently replaced, these new green cards will have validity of ten years for permanent residents and two years for conditional residents.
For those with the old version of the green cards, with no expiration dates, USCIS recommends that the resident replaced the same with the newly redesigned card. This is not a mandatory requirement but is simply a recommendation. To replace this card, the resident applicant must file a form I-90 with the filing fee of $370. The old versions of the green card with expiration dates are still valid until they expire. Before their expiration, the resident must file for renewal and the USCIS will then issue the new redesigned version of the green card.
With the coming summer travel season, it is always advisable to check on the expiration of the green card and the need to renew it if necessary before making any plans to travel. This will avoid complications at the port of entry upon your arrival in the US.
Atty. Lou
(Lourdes Santos Tancinco Esq .is a partner at the Tancinco Law Offices, a Professional Law Corp. Her office is located at One Hallidie Plaza, Suite 818, San Francisco CA 94102 and may be reached at 415 397 0808, email at law@tancinco.com. The content provided in this column is solely for informational purposes only and do not create a lawyer-client relationship. It should not be relied as legal advice. This column does not disclose any confidential or classified information acquired in her capacity as legal counsel. Consult with an attorney before deciding on a course of action. You may submit questions to law@tancinco.com)
