Form I-90 is the application USCIS uses to replace a green card: the agency's official page states that it is used to "replace a Green Card" (USCIS, I-90). The total fee reported by USCIS is $450, combining a $365 form fee and $85 for biometric services, and the application can be filed online or on paper.
What is Form I-90?
The I-90 (Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card) is the USCIS form used to replace a permanent resident card. According to USCIS, it serves permanent residents whose card was lost, stolen, damaged, expired, or contains incorrect information, as well as those who have legally changed their name (USCIS, I-90).
Conditional residents who want to remove the conditions on their green card do not use the I-90, but rather a different form. That process is explained in I-751: How to Remove the Conditions on a 2-Year Green Card.
How much does the I-90 cost?
USCIS states a total fee of $450 on the form's page: $365 for the I-90 fee and $85 for biometric services (USCIS, I-90). The same page lists situations with no fee, such as a card that was never received under specific conditions and an error made by DHS itself.
USCIS fee amounts change through official notices in the Federal Register. For this reason, it's worth checking the fee on the form's page on the date the application is submitted, rather than relying on an older text.
How does USCIS accept the application: online or on paper?
The application can be filed online or on paper. USCIS notes that online filing is not available for those requesting a fee waiver (USCIS, I-90).
Since April 2015, all I-90 applications have been processed in the USCIS electronic system known as ELIS, whether filed online or on paper. Paper filings go to the lockbox address in Phoenix, Arizona, listed on the form's page (USCIS, I-90).
What documents does USCIS request?
What accompanies the form depends on the reason for the replacement. According to USCIS:
- Card that never arrived: a copy of the Form I-797 approval notice for the application that generated the card, and a copy of an official photo ID showing name, date of birth, and signature.
- Incorrect information due to DHS error: the original card with the incorrect information and proof of the correct name or biographic data.
- All cases: required fields completed (last name, address, date of birth, and signature) and the correct fee.
These items appear on the form's official page (USCIS, I-90). To understand how USCIS describes the biometrics collection process, see also USCIS Biometrics: Notice, ASC, What to Bring, and Rescheduling.
What happens after submission?
Those who file on paper receive a "USCIS Account Acceptance Notice" with instructions for creating an online account. Those who want to receive an e-Notification when USCIS accepts the application at the lockbox can attach Form G-1145 (USCIS, I-90).
Case tracking is done through the USCIS online account, which also shows updates and allows contact information to be kept current. USCIS also sends updates by mail, even without an online account. To keep the address on file up to date, USCIS has its own rule, explained in Moved? You Have 10 Days to Notify USCIS.
If an application needs to be withdrawn, USCIS describes that withdrawal is done through a written request to the service center handling the case, which depends on the prefix of the receipt number. The agency states that there is no refund for withdrawn applications (USCIS, I-90).
What did the Federal Register publish on October 6, 2026?
On October 6, 2026, USCIS published a notice in the Federal Register regarding an extension, without change, of the currently approved information collection for the I-90. The notice describes the measure as an "Extension, Without Change, of a Currently Approved Collection" and opens public comments for 60 days, until December 7, 2026 (Federal Register, 10/06/2026).
In practice, the notice does not describe any changes to the form or to the time estimates. It estimates 444,601 paper responses (1.82 hours per response), 296,400 electronic responses (1.59 hours), and 741,001 biometric responses (1.17 hours) (Federal Register, 10/06/2026). These numbers show the scale of the form: hundreds of thousands of estimated responses.
What step-by-step process does USCIS describe?
Putting together what the official page states, the sequence is as follows:
- Confirm the reason for the replacement among those listed by USCIS (lost, stolen, damaged, expired, incorrect information, or legal name change).
- Gather the documents USCIS requests for that reason.
- Choose between online and paper filing, keeping in mind that a fee waiver request cannot be filed online.
- Check the current fee on the I-90 page and pay the correct amount.
- Submit the application and keep the receipt notice.
- Track the case through the USCIS online account and attend the biometrics appointment when USCIS schedules it.
Each step comes from the form's page (USCIS, I-90). For an overview of the phases of a family-based process, the article Family Green Card: The 5 Phases of the Process, Explained helps put each step in context, and the hub with all the guides is at Prime Immigration Office Blog.
Where does Prime come in?
Prime Immigration Office is a paralegal service: it organizes information and prepares the documents the form requires, based on what the client provides. Choosing the right path for each personal situation is not part of this service.
Sources
- USCIS — Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card
- Federal Register — I-90, extension without change of the information collection (10/06/2026)
- Prime Immigration Office Blog
Educational information, not legal advice. Prime Immigration Office is a paralegal service — document preparation only. For legal advice, consult a licensed Texas attorney or DOJ-accredited representative.