Quick answer: What should you do if your Green Card has incorrect information?
If your Green Card contains incorrect information, compare it with the application and supporting evidence submitted to USCIS. Determine whether the discrepancy resulted from a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) error or information you supplied. A qualifying DHS-caused correction generally does not require the standard Form I-90 fee. Otherwise, Form I-90 and the applicable fee may be required. A legal or biographic change after card issuance is not a DHS error.
This guide is for lawful permanent residents who received a physical Green Card containing an incorrect name, date of birth, country of birth or other biographic information. The correction route depends on whether DHS caused the discrepancy or the card reflects information supplied by the applicant. A card that never arrived or an application that remains pending requires a different post-filing response.
If your concern involves visa availability, conditional residence, the immigration category used for approval, the card’s validity period, or eligibility for permanent residence, the issue may extend beyond a Form I-90 correction. Consider obtaining guidance from a qualified immigration lawyer before filing.
Incorrect Green Card information at a glance
| Situation | What it means | First step | General fee treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card differs from the information submitted or approved | DHS may have caused the error | Review the DHS-error Form I-90 instructions | Standard fee generally does not apply when requirements are met |
| Card matches incorrect information supplied by the applicant | The error may not be attributable to DHS | Review the applicable Form I-90 instructions | Standard fee may apply |
| Information legally changed after the card was issued | This is a later legal or biographic change | Use the filing reason matching the change | Standard fee generally applies |
If the card never arrived or Form I-90 is still pending, use Form I-90 Problems After Filing: What to Do Next.
Need help correcting your Green Card?
If you have determined that Form I-90 is the appropriate procedure, ImmigrationDirect’s guided service can help you complete the application, review required fields, and organize your filing package. Replace My Green Card.
How do you determine who caused the Green Card error?
Compare the Green Card with the application that produced it—Form I-90, Form I-485 or an immigrant-visa application. Also review USCIS approval notices, any previous Green Card, a passport or other government-issued identification, documents filed with the application, and civil records showing the correct information.
The card alone may not establish who caused the discrepancy. If the application and evidence contained the correct information but the issued card differs, DHS may have caused the error. If the card matches information the applicant supplied, the DHS-error reason may not apply. Preserve copies of the card, application and supporting records.
An incorrect immigration category, “Resident Since” date, or card validity period may affect more than the physical card. Compare the card with the approval and admission records. If those records suggest that the underlying category, conditional status, or eligibility may be incorrect, do not treat the issue as a routine Form I-90 correction; obtain legal guidance.
What should you do if DHS caused the error?
USCIS is an agency within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Form I-90 uses “DHS error” for incorrect card information attributable to the government. Review the current USCIS replacement-card guidance and Form I-90 instructions before selecting this reason. Use it only when the application or approved record contained the correct information, but DHS produced the card with different data.
Submit evidence showing what USCIS approved or should have printed. Follow the instructions for submitting the incorrect original Green Card, and make a clear copy of both sides before sending it. Retain copies of the application, supporting evidence and delivery confirmation.
If USCIS requires you to submit the original card and you need proof of status before the corrected card arrives, contact USCIS about temporary Form I-551 documentation, commonly called an ADIT stamp.
The standard Form I-90 fee generally does not apply when DHS caused the error and every category requirement is met. A difference between the card and another identity document does not, by itself, prove that DHS caused the discrepancy.
What if the applicant supplied incorrect information?
A Green Card may accurately reproduce information entered on Form I-90, Form I-485 or an immigrant-visa application even when that information was incorrect. In that situation, do not select the DHS-error reason merely because the issued card contains wrong data. Review the current Form I-90 instructions to identify the filing reason that matches the circumstances. Form I-90 and the applicable fee may be required.
Submit reliable evidence establishing the correct information. If the submitted record and requested correction differ, an explanation may be appropriate, supported by relevant records. USCIS may request additional evidence if the documents do not resolve the inconsistency.
Material differences involving identity, immigration history or eligibility may extend beyond correcting the physical card. Form I-90 does not resolve an underlying status or eligibility issue, so obtain legal guidance before filing when the discrepancy is material.
What if the information changed after USCIS issued the card?
If the information was correct when USCIS issued the card but changed later, the change is not a DHS error. Use the Form I-90 reason matching the later change and submit the required evidence. For name-related changes, see How to Change Your Name on a Green Card.
What evidence should you submit?
Submit evidence that identifies the incorrect information and supports the requested correction. Depending on the case, this may include:
- A copy of the incorrect Green Card;
- A previous Green Card, when available;
- The application containing the information submitted to USCIS;
- A USCIS approval notice or other USCIS record;
- A passport or other government-issued identification;
- A civil document establishing the correct information, when applicable;
- Evidence showing that the original submission contained the correct information; and
- A complete certified English translation when required.
The required evidence depends on the information being corrected, whether DHS or the applicant caused the error, and the selected Form I-90 reason. Follow the current instructions and review the Form I-90 Documents Required and Checklist for category-specific guidance.
Is there a fee to correct incorrect Green Card information?
Fee treatment depends on who caused the error and the applicable Form I-90 reason.
- Qualifying DHS-caused error: The standard Form I-90 fee generally does not apply when DHS caused the incorrect information and the category requirements are met.
- Applicant-supplied error or later change: The applicable filing fee may be required when the card reflects submitted information or the information changed after issuance.
- Fee-waiver request: A fee waiver has separate eligibility, evidence and filing requirements and is not automatic.
Review the current Form I-90 filing fees and confirm the current filing amount using the USCIS fee calculator.
How do you file Form I-90 to correct the card?
First, identify the incorrect information and compare it with the submitted and approved record. Determine whether DHS or the applicant caused the discrepancy, then select the applicable Form I-90 reason. Collect evidence showing the correct information and follow the current online or paper-filing instructions.
Submit the original Green Card when the instructions require it. Keep a complete copy of the application, evidence and delivery records, and monitor the USCIS online account and every mailed notice. For filing details, see How to File Form I-90 Online.
FAQs About Incorrect Green Card Information
Can I use a Green Card that contains incorrect information?
The practical effect depends on what is incorrect and how the card will be used. A minor discrepancy may create different problems than an error involving identity or status records. Request correction promptly when incorrect information could affect identity verification, employment documentation, travel or matching records across government agencies.
Do I have to return the incorrect original Green Card?
Follow the instructions for the Form I-90 reason you select. A filing based on DHS error may require you to submit the incorrect original Green Card. Before sending it, make a clear copy of both sides and retain copies of the application, supporting evidence and delivery confirmation.
Does correcting a Green Card affect permanent resident status?
Correcting or replacing the physical card does not, by itself, grant, renew, or terminate permanent resident status. Form I-90 concerns evidence of existing status.
What if the replacement Green Card contains another error?
Compare the replacement card with the application, supporting evidence and information USCIS approved. Determine whether DHS caused the new discrepancy before submitting another Form I-90. If the replacement card matches incorrect information supplied in the correction application, the DHS-error filing reason may not apply.
Get help correcting your Green Card
If you have determined that Form I-90 is the appropriate procedure, ImmigrationDirect’s guided service can help you select the applicable filing reason, complete the required fields, review the application for common omissions, and organize the filing package. If the concern involves conditional residence, the underlying immigration category, or eligibility for permanent residence, obtain legal guidance before using a card-correction service. Replace My Green Card
ImmigrationDirect provides a private Form I-90 preparation service and is not affiliated with USCIS. Its service fee is separate from the USCIS filing fee. Blank government forms and filing instructions are available free from USCIS.
