The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has just recalled thousands of green cards after the agency admits they were printed with errors.
More than 8500 cards are impacted by this recall. The USCIS says the error affects those who were approved under Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions for spouses of U.S. citizens.
What if my green card is recalled?
The USCIS says they will send letters to you and your attorney, if you have one, notifying you that your green card is being recalled.
They will send you an envelope to return your incorrect green card within 20 days of receiving the notice of the error.
The USCIS is also accepting incorrect green cards at your local USCIS field office.
The USCIS will send you a replacement green card with the correct information within 15 days of receiving the incorrect card.
How does this recall impact my status?
According to the USCIS, this recall will not impact your status in the country. It does, however, impact your ability to prove your status.
That means you may encounter issues if you are scheduled to travel outside the United States or need to prove your lawful permanent residence. The USCIS is asking anyone who needs to prove their lawful permanent residence while they wait for a replacement to call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283.
Citizenship as a Solution
The impacted green card holders are all spouses of U.S. citizens. These immigrants can apply for naturalization after just three years of permanent residency.
U.S. citizenship is one of the best ways to avoid green card problems in the future. Getting your card corrected is also important because the USCIS says the incorrect cards could cause applicants to wait longer before they apply for naturalization.
FileRight makes it easy to find out if you’re eligible to apply for naturalization. Just take our free eligibility quiz.
