Is there a mistake on your green card?

 Posted on November 01, 2022 in green cards

If you have gone through the process of applying for legal permanent residency, you are probably ready to take a break from dealing with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. After all, receiving a green card can take seemingly forever and requires jumping through dozens of bureaucratic hoops.

When you receive your green card in the mail, you should immediately inspect it for any errors. If you notice one or more, you must take prompt action to correct the problem.

Who owns the mistake?

Your first step is to assign responsibility for the mistake. That is, you must know whether you made the error or whether the USCIS did. To do so, you should look through your permanent residency filing to see if you made a typographic error or some other error. If you did, you likely must pay to correct the problem.

Do you have to pay for a new card?

If the USCIS made the error, though, you probably qualify for a fee waiver. That is, according to the USCIS, you can file a form to request a replacement card without having to pay its filing fee. When you complete the form, be certain to provide accurate and complete information. Also, include the erroneous card with your filing.

Can you get by with the erroneous card?

Because fixing a mistake on a green card can take time, it may be tempting to try to get by with the erroneous card. This is not a good plan, however. Indeed, having a mistake on your card may make it difficult to travel, obtain employment and otherwise take full advantage of your legal permanent residency.

Ultimately, rather than hoping for the best, it is advisable to fix the mistake on your green card as soon as you identify it.