Green Card Renewal in San Jose — Form I-90 Prepared With You
Your permanent resident card is expiring, already expired, lost, stolen or printed wrong. We complete Form I-90 with you in person at our San Jose office, in English, Español or Tiếng Việt, and go through every page before it is filed. $200 preparation, plus the USCIS fee — which may be waived entirely if your income qualifies.
✓ English · Español · Tiếng Việt
✓ Fee waiver help if you qualify
✓ Free parking on site
First, the thing that frightens people most
An expired green card does not mean you have lost your status. Permanent residence does not expire when the plastic does — the card is evidence of your status, not the status itself. You are still a lawful permanent resident, you are still allowed to be here, and you are still allowed to work.
What the expired card actually costs you is proof. Your employer cannot verify your work authorization from an expired document. An airline may refuse to board you. The DMV may not renew your licence. So the urgency is real — but it is an urgency about paperwork, not about your right to stay.
People arrive at our counter having lost sleep over this for weeks. It is usually the first thing we tell them, and it is usually the first time anyone has said it plainly.
What to know before you start
These are the things that decide whether an I-90 goes smoothly or comes back. Read them before you file, whether you use us or not.
1. Check whether you should be filing N-400 instead
This is the most expensive mistake in green card renewal. A great many people renew a card for another ten years when they have already been eligible to naturalize for years. If you have held permanent residence for five years — or three, if you are married to and living with a U.S. citizen — applying for citizenship may make more sense than paying to replace a card you would stop needing. We check your dates before we take a renewal fee from you, and if citizenship is the better route we will tell you. That is what our N-400 page covers.
2. A conditional two-year card is not renewed with this form
If your card is valid for two years rather than ten — typically a marriage-based or investor-based card — Form I-90 is the wrong form for an expiring card. Conditional residents remove the conditions through a different filing, and using I-90 because the expiry date is approaching will not fix your status. The exception is a conditional card that was lost, stolen or damaged: replacing the physical card can run through I-90. Bring the card and we will confirm which situation you are in before anything is prepared.
3. Know the difference between your A-Number and your card number
Three numbers appear on green card paperwork and people mix them up constantly. Your A-Number (Alien Registration Number) identifies your immigration record. Your card number is the document number printed on the card itself, and it is not the same thing. Your USCIS online account number is different again, and many people do not have one at all, which is fine. Entering the wrong one in the wrong field is a routine cause of problems. Bring the card and we read them off it with you.
4. The reason you select controls everything else
Form I-90 asks why you need a new card, and that answer determines which evidence USCIS expects and which fee applies. Selecting “renewal” when the card was lost, or claiming USCIS error without evidence the agency caused it, causes avoidable trouble. Also note the timing: renewal is appropriate when the card has expired or expires within six months. Filing a year early is not the standard category.
5. Keep your receipt notice, and check your address
Once USCIS accepts your I-90, the receipt notice extends your expired card’s validity while the case is pending — currently 36 months, though that figure has changed before and we check the present position with you. Carried with the expired card, it is what you show an employer or use to travel. Your new card goes to the address USCIS has on file, so update it if you have moved, and attach the court order or marriage certificate if your name has changed.
What it costs
Two separate amounts: what we charge to prepare the application, and what USCIS charges to receive it. We tell you both before you commit to anything, and the government fee is paid to the government rather than to us.
How a visit actually goes
- We read your card with you. A-Number, card number, category code, the date residence was granted. This is where most errors are caught, before they are made.
- We establish which form you actually need. Ten-year card or conditional. Renewal or replacement. I-90 or, sometimes, N-400 instead.
- We check the fee waiver. If your income may qualify, we look at your documents and prepare Form I-912 in the same sitting rather than sending you away to come back.
- We complete the form together. Every question explained in your own language, and answered in your words rather than ours.
- You leave with a copy of everything. The full application, the supporting documents, and what to expect next — including what the receipt notice is for and why you must keep it.
Questions people actually ask
If something has gone wrong
My green card already expired. Am I in trouble?
No. Lawful permanent resident status does not end when the card does — the card is evidence of status, not the status itself. What an expired card does is make it hard to prove work authorization to an employer and difficult to re-enter the United States after travel. File the I-90 and keep the receipt notice, which extends the validity of your expired card while the case is pending.
My mother’s card expired and she does not speak English. Can I bring her in?
Yes, and this is the most common way people come to us. Bring her with you. Her English has no bearing on a green card renewal — there is no language requirement and no test. Quinnie speaks Vietnamese and Rosa handles Spanish, so we explain each question to her directly rather than through you. She signs her own application, which is what USCIS requires.
My card was lost or stolen. What do I do first?
File a police report if it was stolen — it is useful supporting evidence and protects you if the card is misused. Then file Form I-90 as a replacement rather than a renewal, because the reason you select changes what USCIS expects. Bring any photocopy or photograph of the old card, your passport and other government ID.
Can I travel while my I-90 is pending?
Generally yes, but it carries more risk if your card has already expired. The receipt notice carried with the expired card is what proves your status at the border. If you have travel booked, tell us the dates at the start — depending on timing, an appointment at the USCIS field office for temporary proof may be more appropriate than waiting on mail.
I filed myself and USCIS rejected it. Can you fix it?
Bring the rejection notice and everything you sent. Rejections usually come from a missing signature, the wrong fee amount, an outdated form edition, the wrong filing address, or selecting a reason that did not match the evidence attached. We identify what went wrong before you pay us anything.
I cannot afford the USCIS fee.
Then a fee waiver is the first thing we look at, because Form I-90 is eligible for one. If your documented household income is at or below the threshold, or you receive a qualifying benefit, you may pay nothing to USCIS. Bring proof of income or benefits and we will assess it honestly.
Before you decide
Should I renew, or apply for citizenship instead?
Worth asking before you spend anything. If you have held permanent residence for five years, or three while married to and living with a U.S. citizen, naturalization may be the better use of the money than renewing a card for another decade. Bring your green card and we will look at the dates with you. If citizenship fits, we will say so.
I have a conditional two-year card. Is this the right form?
Probably not. A two-year conditional card obtained through marriage or investment has its conditions removed through a different filing, not Form I-90. Using I-90 because the expiry date is approaching will not fix your status. A conditional card that was lost, stolen or damaged can be replaced through I-90, which is a different thing. Bring the card and we will confirm before you pay for anything.
Why not just file it myself online?
You can, and some people should. The reasons people sit down with us instead are a language barrier, low confidence with online forms, a complicated history, or wanting another person to check it before it goes. If your case is simple and you are comfortable with the USCIS website, filing yourself is a reasonable choice and we will tell you so.
Do I need an immigration attorney for this?
For a straightforward renewal, usually not — which is why our rate is $200 rather than an attorney’s. You do need one if you have been in immigration court proceedings, have any criminal history, or have spent long periods living outside the United States, because the form asks questions aimed at abandonment of residence. We will tell you when that line is crossed instead of taking the case.
Are you attorneys?
No. Fingerscan Digital is not a law firm and cannot give legal advice about immigration or any other legal matter. We prepare the forms you direct us to prepare, in your own words, and we cannot advise you on which benefit to seek or your eligibility for it.
Practical details
Will I need fingerprints or an interview, and how long does it take?
Renewal does not normally involve an interview. USCIS may schedule a short biometrics appointment and will send a notice if so. Our part takes about an hour in the office; USCIS processing times vary by service centre, and we check the current estimate with you rather than promising a date we do not control.
What should I bring?
Your current or expired green card if you still have it, a government photo ID or passport, proof of any name change, and proof of household income if you want the fee waiver assessed. If the card was stolen, bring the police report. If it is damaged, bring the damaged card — USCIS usually wants it back.
Do I need an appointment?
No. Walk in Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM. Booking online just holds a time. If you are bringing a relative who needs interpretation, calling ahead means we can set aside enough time.
How do I pay, and is the USCIS fee included?
The $200 is our preparation rate only. The USCIS fee is separate and paid to the government — $415 online or $465 by paper. If a fee waiver is approved, you pay only our $200.
Getting to us
I live in East San Jose or Milpitas. Is it far?
We are at 434 Blossom Hill Road in South San Jose, roughly 15 to 20 minutes from Little Saigon, Tully Road and Milpitas, with free parking at the door. It is one visit rather than several, and you leave with the application finished and a copy of everything.
Do you help people in Spanish or Vietnamese?
Yes, in person, not through a phone interpreter. Quinnie is Vietnamese and handles Tiếng Việt directly. Our partner Rosa handles Spanish and can take a case through from start to finish.
Bring your card and we will start today
434 Blossom Hill Road, San Jose, CA 95123. Walk in Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM. English, Español, Tiếng Việt.