Say someone (a British citizen) enters the US legally, and gets their green card. let’s also suppose this was in the 60s.
Now then. This individual gets married, has a couple of kids but manages to stay under the radar. Uses public transportation so never gets a driver’s license. Becomes a housewife, doesn’t need ID to work, etc.
Let’s also suppose that during the intervening 40-some years this person’s British passport expires (obviously gonna happen). So no ID proving native citizenship.
What is the possible/likely consequences of this? Is the expired passport still valid? Can soneone be deported after 45 years if their green card is expired? I know there are different kinds of green cards, but I don’t know the difference. Is that person here illegally and is in deep shit or is it a minor inconvenience, like getting a new drivers license when moving to a different state?
Why should I renew my green card? Your green card is proof that you are a lawful permanent resident (“LPR”) of the United States. If it expires, you will not have this proof that you are allowed to live in the US anymore and it can cause you problems. Not only will you have trouble to re-enter the United States after you travel, but you might also have a hard time getting a job or keeping a job. This is because your green card is also like a work permit.
When should I renew my green card? You should renew your green card six months before it expires. However, you can renew it at any time in the last six months before it expires.
What if my green card is already expired? It is better to renew your green card before it expires, but if you forgot or you didn’t realize it was going to expire, don’t worry! You can still renew it and there is no penalty – you will not need to pay anything extra for it. You will get a temporary green card you can use.
Ok, so is there a limit to how long one can have an expired green card and still get it renewed? For instance, if that someone waits 10 years to get it renewed, will the government basically say “yeah right, this was no minor oversight. You blatantly disregarded the rules, so out you go”?
British citizen with British passport acquired permanent residency in the USA, did not renew their British passport when it expired and never acquired any state issued ID. I am assuming they still have their original green card which never expires(the ones issued at the time did not).
Is that it? They need to contact the nearest British embassy which will issue them a new passport, this will not be a problem.
On not having the proper paperwork. It’s really not likely, but stranger things have happened with the INS. (It’s like if you didn’t have a DL and your car is impounded or you’re carted off to jail because the police think you’re the wrong person, etc.)
Is this a conditional GC that expired or permanent one?
You probably have to pay the renewal fee and all, but you aren’t going to get booted when you do that. It’s not like an expired visa.
My mom had German citizenship and permanent residence in the USA, her German passport lapsed for deacdes but she had a driver’s license and her original unexpiring green card.
She finally went to get a new green card because back around 2005 when she finally got another German passport and visited Germany she was harassed on her return by threatening border agents. My sister was closest and actually went to the airport and she was harassed when they saw she was born in France on her birth certificate :rolleyes:(on a US army base to a serviceman father).
My mother was eventually allowed to enter the USA and went to get a new digital card.
