Naturalization receipts extend green-card evidence for 24 months

Policy effect

For Forms N-400 filed on or after December 12, 2022, USCIS receipt notices automatically extended Permanent Resident Cards for 24 months from the expiration date printed on the card. Presented together during that extension period, the receipt notice and expired card provided valid evidence of lawful permanent residence, identity and employment authorization under Form I-9 List A. Naturalization applicants therefore might not need to file Form I-90 while their N-400 remained pending. This changed documentary proof, rather than granting an additional period of lawful permanent resident status.

Conditions and exceptions

Validated condition or limit: For Forms N-400 filed on or after December 12, 2022, USCIS receipt notices automatically extended Permanent Resident Cards for 24 months from the expiration date printed on the card.

Official source excerpt

Quoted verbatim from the official source below. Ellipses indicate omitted text.

… stamp in their passport as proof of LPR status. USCIS received comments from the public requesting an automatic extension of PRCs due to the current processing times for naturalization. 2 In response to the comments, USCIS is updating language on its Form N-400 receipt Notice of Action (Form I-797) to include an automatic extension of PRCs for 24 months from the “Card Expires” date listed on the PRC and updating the related policy. 3 USCIS further believes that this policy allows greater flexibility and efficiency by reducing the number of ADIT stamp appointments in field offices, reducing the … Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence (Form I-751) or Form I-90. To provide feedback on this update, email USCIS at policyfeedback@uscis.dhs.gov. PA-2022-26: Extension of Permanent Resident Card for Naturalization Applicants Page: 2 Presentation of the Form N-400 receipt notice along with the expired PRC is valid, unexpired evidence of LPR status, as well as identity and employment authorization under List A of Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9), if presented before the expiration of the 24-month extension period provided in the notice. This guidance, contained in Volume 12 of … the Policy Manual, is effective December 12, 2022 and applies to all applications filed on or after December 12, 2022. The guidance contained in the Policy Manual is controlling and supersedes any related prior guidance. Policy Highlights • Explains that, beginning December 12, 2022, a Form N-400 receipt notice provides an automatic 24-month extension of the PRC and serves as valid, unexpired evidence of LPR status, when presented with the LPR’s expired PRC. • Explains that naturalization applicants may not need to file Form I-90 while their Form N-400 is pending as a result of the 24-month e … U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Office of the Director Camp Springs, MD 20588-0009 December 9, 2022 PA-2022-26 Policy Alert SUBJECT: Extension of Permanent Resident Card for Naturalization Applicants Purpose U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to provide that USCIS may automatically extend the validity of a Permanent Resident Card (PRC) (Form I-551) through an Application for Naturalization (Form N-400) receipt notice, without regard to whether the applicant has filed an Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card …

Review method

Two separate automated exact-claim source reviews

Other United States changes operative in 2022

• 2022-01-28DHS and DOL add 20,000 H-2B visas for first half of FY2022
• 2022-01-30New I-94 spouse codes provide proof of work authorization
• 2022-02-01Eligible evacuated Afghans may reuse overseas medical examinations
• 2022-02-07Longer work-document validity for specified protection and parole categories
• 2022-02-07Restoration of the 30-day processing provision for initial asylum employment authorization
• 2022-02-10Divorce does not end VAWA stepfamily eligibility
• 2022-03-11Mandatory Frivolous Asylum Adjudication Requirements (Matter of M-M-A-)
• 2022-03-15EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (Statutory Regional Center Program Reauthorization)
• 2022-03-28Citizenship-certificate applicants generally provide photos at appointments
• 2022-04-07USCIS Policy Manual Guidance on Interview Waiver Criteria for Family-Based Conditional Permanent Residents (Form I-751)
• 2022-04-19DHS designates Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status
• 2022-04-25Implementation of the Uniting for Ukraine Parole Process
• 2022-05-04DHS temporarily increases automatic EAD extension period to 540 days
• 2022-05-06Deferred-action consideration introduced for visa-blocked SIJs
• 2022-05-20DHS designates Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status
• 2022-05-31DHS and DOJ issue asylum officer processing interim final rule
• 2022-07-20Policy Manual Guidance on Afghan and Iraqi Special Immigrant Visas Adjudication Transition
• 2022-07-25Permanent Adoption of Reproduced Signature Flexibilities
• 2022-08-02Uncharacterized military discharges treated as honorable for military naturalization
• 2022-08-30Policy Guidance on Special Immigrant and Nonimmigrant Religious Workers (R-1)
• 2022-08-31Codification of policy allowing issuance of diplomatic nonimmigrant visas in the United States to children born in the U.S.
• 2022-09-01Resumption of Cuban Family Reunification Parole (CFRP) Operations
• 2022-09-29Extension of Temporary Waiver of Form I-693 60-Day Rule for Civil Surgeon Signatures
• 2022-10-01President sets FY2023 refugee admissions ceiling at 125,000
• 2022-12-15DHS and DOL add 64,716 H-2B visas for FY2023
• 2022-12-23DHS finalizes public charge inadmissibility rule