How to Renew Your Green Card in South Carolina

If your 10-year green card expires within the next six months, it’s time to file. The renewal process is mostly paperwork, but it’s paperwork the federal government doesn’t forgive when you get it wrong. Late filings, missing documents, and the wrong response to USCIS notices can leave you without proof of your lawful permanent resident status — which can cost you a job, a flight, or a federal benefit you depend on.

Here’s how green card renewal works for South Carolina residents in 2026, what it costs, and when you actually need a lawyer involved.

When You Need to Renew

You need to file Form I-90 to renew your green card if:

• Your 10-year green card has expired or expires within the next 6 months
• Your green card was lost, stolen, or destroyed
• Your green card has your wrong name or biographical information on it
• You never received the card USCIS issued to you
• You’re commuter status and your card needs replacing

If you have a 2-year conditional green card (typically issued through marriage), you don’t file I-90. You file Form I-751 (Petition to Remove Conditions) instead — and that one is more complicated.

When You Should Not File I-90

There are situations where filing the standard renewal is the wrong move and could trigger trouble:

• You have a criminal record. Any arrest or conviction since you got your green card needs a careful look before you file. USCIS now reviews renewal applications more carefully than they used to. A drug conviction, a domestic violence arrest, a DUI — any of these can put your renewal in deeper review and, in some cases, trigger removal proceedings. Talk to an immigration attorney before filing.
  
• You’ve spent significant time outside the U.S. Long absences can put your permanent resident status at risk. If you’ve been gone more than 6 months at any stretch since your last entry, this needs review.
• You’re eligible for citizenship. If you’ve held your green card for 5 years (or 3 years through marriage to a U.S. citizen), you may be better off filing N-400 (Application for Naturalization) instead of renewing. Naturalization fees are higher but you walk out a citizen, which beats renewing every 10 years for the rest of your life.

If any of those apply, get legal advice before you file anything.

Step-by-Step: How to File the I-90

Step 1. Confirm You’re Filing the Right Form

Form I-90 (Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card) is the renewal form. Make sure you’re using the most recent version from USCIS. Old versions get rejected.

Step 2. Gather Your Documents

You’ll need:

• A copy of your current (or expired) green card, front and back
• A copy of any government-issued photo ID
• Your A-number (the 8 or 9-digit number on your green card)
• If your name has changed, legal documentation of the change

Step 3. File Online or by Mail

You can file Form I-90 online through your USCIS account, or by mail to the address listed on the USCIS Form I-90 page. Online filing is usually faster and lets you track the case in real time.

South Carolina residents file with the USCIS Phoenix Lockbox or as directed on the current form instructions — addresses change, so always check the USCIS site for the current filing location before mailing.

Step 4. Pay the Filing Fee

As of the most recent USCIS fee update, Form I-90 filing fees are:

• $415 filing fee + $30 biometrics = $445 total (online filing)
• $465 (paper filing)

Fees change. Always confirm the current amount on the USCIS fee schedule before you submit.

If you can’t afford the fee, you can apply for a fee waiver using Form I-912.

Step 5. Wait for Receipt and Biometrics Notice

Within 2–4 weeks, you should get a receipt notice (Form I-797) confirming USCIS has your application. Keep this. It serves as temporary proof that you filed.

A few weeks after that, you’ll get a biometrics appointment notice. South Carolina applicants are typically scheduled at the USCIS Application Support Center in Charleston or Charlotte. You go in, get fingerprinted and photographed, and leave.

If you can’t make the assigned date, you can reschedule online — but do it before the date passes, or you risk having your application denied for abandonment.

Step 6. Get Your I-551 Stamp If You Need One

If your green card expires before USCIS issues your new one, and you need proof of status for travel, work, or another purpose, you can request an I-551 stamp (called an Alien Documentation, Identification, and Telecommunication stamp, or ADIT stamp) at a USCIS field office. The Charlotte field office serves much of South Carolina.

Schedule the appointment through your USCIS account. The stamp goes in your passport and serves as temporary evidence of your permanent resident status while the renewal is pending.

Step 7. Receive Your New Green Card

Total processing time for I-90 in 2026 typically runs 6 to 14 months, though it can be faster or slower depending on USCIS workload. Check the USCIS processing times page for the current estimate at the Potomac Service Center, which handles most I-90 applications.

When the new card is approved, USCIS mails it to the address on file. Make sure your address is current with USCIS at all times under Form AR-11. Failing to update your address is a deportable offense — yes, really.

What If the Card Is Lost or Stolen?

You file the same I-90, but you check the box for “lost, stolen, or destroyed.” You’ll need to:

• Get a copy of any police report you filed (if it was stolen)
• Pay the same fee
• Go through the same biometrics appointment

While you wait, the I-551 stamp at the Charlotte field office is your best option for proof of status.

What If I’m Outside the U.S. When My Card Expires?

This is a problem. You generally cannot renew Form I-90 from outside the U.S. except in narrow circumstances. If your card expires while you’re abroad, you may need to apply for a boarding foil at the U.S. consulate in the country you’re in to be allowed to fly back to the United States.

The cleaner answer is to renew before you travel. If your card expires within 12 months and you have international travel planned, file the I-90 first, get your receipt notice, and consider getting the ADIT stamp before you go.

What If You Have a Criminal Record?

This is where green card renewal gets dangerous to file without help.

USCIS reviews every I-90 against your full immigration and criminal history. If they find a conviction or even an arrest that makes you removable, the renewal application can be the trigger for placing you in removal proceedings.

The categories that cause the most trouble:

• Drug convictions (almost any controlled substance offense, even simple possession of marijuana over 30 grams)
• Crimes involving moral turpitude (fraud, theft, certain assault charges)
• Aggravated felonies (a federal immigration term that includes a long list of state offenses)
• Domestic violence convictions or protective order violations
• Firearms offenses
• Two or more convictions of any kind that together carry 5+ years of potential prison time

If any of those apply to your record, do not file I-90 without talking to an immigration attorney first. We work with clients in this exact situation regularly.

Common Mistakes That Delay or Sink Renewals

After watching these for years, here are the ones that come up most often:

• Filing too early. USCIS won’t accept I-90 more than 6 months before card expiration.
• Missing the biometrics appointment without rescheduling. Application denied for abandonment.
• Outdated address at USCIS. The new card and key notices go to the wrong place.
• Wrong filing fee (USCIS rejected outright until you pay correctly).
• Wrong form version. USCIS updates I-90 periodically and rejects old editions.
• Failing to disclose a criminal arrest. USCIS finds it anyway. Hiding it makes everything worse.

When You Need a Lawyer for Renewal

Most clean renewals — no arrests, no long absences, no name issues, no derivative status complications — can be filed without a lawyer. The form is straightforward.

Get an immigration attorney involved if any of these apply:

• You have any criminal record
• You’ve been outside the U.S. for more than 6 months at any time since your last entry
• You’re a conditional resident filing I-751 instead of I-90
• USCIS has issued you a Request for Evidence (RFE) on a prior application
• You’ve been placed in removal proceedings before
• Your identity documents are inconsistent (name spellings, dates of birth)
• You’re considering naturalization but unsure if you qualify

The cost of a consultation is far less than the cost of having your renewal trigger a removal case.

How Okoye Law Helps Rock Hill Residents With Green Card Renewal

We help permanent residents across York County and the surrounding area:

• File clean I-90 renewals when no complications exist
• Review the criminal and travel history before filing when there are red flags
• Respond to RFEs and notices of intent to deny
• Get ADIT stamps when proof of status is urgent
• Move from green card renewal to N-400 naturalization when that’s the better path
• Defend against removal when a renewal triggers proceedings

Learn about our Rock Hill immigration practice or contact us to schedule a consultation.

Contact Us Today

If you have any questions about whether you can safely renew your green card from South Carolina, talk to us first. Contact us online or schedule an appointment for a confidential review of your situation.

Meet Colin Okoye or read what our clients say.