Conditional green card and removing the condition

When obtaining a green card through marriage, if you have been married for less than 2 years, your first card is a 2-year "conditional" card. You cannot renew this card; you must file Form I-751 before it expires to remove the condition. This page explains when to apply, how to apply jointly with your spouse or alone, the required evidence, mailing addresses, and your rights while your application is pending. It also includes brief information about conditional cards obtained through investment (EB-5).

• If you have been married for less than 2 years on the day you become a permanent resident through marriage, your status is conditional. This is the day you enter the United States with an immigrant visa or the day your I-485 is approved.
• The first green card obtained through investment (EB-5) is also conditional.
• A conditional card is valid for 2 years and cannot be renewed.
• Form I-90 is used for conditional residents only in the following situations: if the card was lost, stolen, or damaged; if the card contains incorrect information; if your name was legally changed; or if you never received the card.
• A conditional card is also evidence of your right to live and work in the United States.
• If the condition is not removed on time, your permanent resident status ends and you may be deported.

• For a joint application with your spouse: Form I-751 must be filed within the 90 days before the card expiration date. An application filed before this window will be rejected.
  • USCIS example: if the card expiration date is June 30, 2023, the earliest filing date is April 1, 2023.
  • Find your own date using USCIS's filing date calculator. Enter the "Card Expires" date shown on your card.
• For an individual (waiver) application: you may apply at any time before your conditional status ends. You may also apply after the 90-day window has passed, until a removal order becomes final.
• If you file late:
  • Your conditional status automatically ends on the card expiration date.
  • USCIS will send you a notice and may refer you to immigration court (Notice to Appear).
  • If the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances beyond your control and the delay was reasonable, you may file late with a written explanation. USCIS decides whether the delay was justified.

• Joint application: if you are still married to the U.S. citizen or green card holder spouse through whom you obtained conditional status. Both of you sign the form.
• Individual application (waiver of the joint filing requirement):
  • your spouse died and you entered the marriage in good faith;
  • you entered the marriage in good faith, but the marriage ended through divorce or annulment;
  • you entered the marriage in good faith, but you or your child suffered abuse or extreme cruelty by your spouse;
  • ending your status and deporting you would cause extreme hardship.
• You may claim more than one waiver ground in the same application.
• If divorce proceedings are pending:
  • If you filed a waiver application, USCIS will send a request for additional evidence (RFE) requesting the final divorce decree.
  • If you filed jointly, USCIS will request the final decree and a letter stating that you want your application to be treated as a waiver application. If the decree is received within the RFE period, the application will be converted to a waiver application.
• Children: you may include children who obtained conditional status at the same time as you or within 90 days after you in your application. A child who obtained status later must file a separate I-751.
• Applicants applying based on abuse do not pay a fee; they also report a change of address through a special procedure.

1. Form I-751 (current edition: 04/01/24). Complete and sign all required fields; your spouse must also sign in a joint application.
2. A copy of the front and back of your green card, as well as the cards of any children included in the application.
3. Evidence that the marriage was entered into in good faith (from the date of marriage to the present; the more, the better):
   • birth certificates of children born during the marriage;
   • a lease or mortgage agreement showing that you lived together;
   • joint bank accounts, with statements; joint federal and state tax returns; insurance policies naming your spouse as beneficiary; joint bills and loans;
   • sworn statements (affidavits) from at least 2 people who have known you since you obtained conditional status. The statement must include the person's full name, address, date and place of birth, relationship to you, and how they acquired the information. Statements alone are not sufficient; they must be supported by other evidence.
4. Any arrest, charge, or conviction records, if applicable. Documents are not required for traffic incidents that did not involve alcohol or drugs, did not involve an arrest, and resulted only in a fine of less than $500 or driver's license points.
5. If filing late, a written explanation of the delay.
6. Additional documents for an individual application: the spouse's death certificate, final divorce or annulment decree, or evidence of abuse, such as police, court, medical, protective-order, or shelter records.
7. Documents in a foreign language must include a complete English translation and the translator's certification of competence. Do not send original documents unless requested.

• I-751 fee: $750 (paper) or $700 (online). The fee is $0 for those requesting a waiver of the joint filing requirement based on abuse.
• Online filing: may be completed through your USCIS account.
• Mailing address (based on the state where you live):
  • Elgin Lockbox — Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Wisconsin
    • USPS: USCIS, Attn: I-751, P.O. Box 4072, Carol Stream, IL 60197-4072
    • FedEx, UPS, DHL: USCIS, Attn: I-751 (Box 4072), 2500 Westfield Drive, Elgin, IL 60124-7836
  • Phoenix Lockbox — all other states and territories, including California, Texas, Virginia, and Washington
    • USPS: USCIS, Attn: I-751, P.O. Box 21200, Phoenix, AZ 85036-1200
    • FedEx, UPS, DHL: USCIS, Attn: I-751 (Box 21200), 2108 E. Elliot Rd., Tempe, AZ 85284-1806
• You must have an address in the United States to apply.
• Investors (EB-5): Form I-829 is filed to remove the condition; the fee is $3,750 (G-1055, October 7, 2026 edition). It must be filed within the 90 days before the card expires. If it is not filed, status automatically ends on the second anniversary. For changes to EB-5 fees, see 3.5 Green card through investment (EB-5) and "Gold Card".
• USCIS Contact Center: +1 800 375 5283 (TTY: +1 800 767 1833); from outside the United States, +1 212 620 3418. Live assistance is available Monday–Friday, 08:00–20:00 (U.S. Eastern Time).

• Receipt notice (I-797): for a properly filed application, the receipt notice extends your conditional status and work authorization for 48 months from the card expiration date. Keep the receipt notice with your expired card.
• If 48 months have passed and no decision has been made, and you need proof of status, call the USCIS Contact Center.
• Biometrics: you may receive an appointment for fingerprints and a photograph. If you are abroad, the notice will instruct you to apply at a U.S. embassy or consulate or a USCIS office.
• Interview: USCIS will call you to a local office if deemed necessary; notice will arrive by mail.
• Denial: USCIS will notify you of the reason in writing and may refer you to immigration court. You may ask the judge to review the denial; at this stage, the government has the burden of proving that the denial was correct.
• If the judge issues a removal order, you may appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals within 30 days (Form EOIR-26).
• Track your application using your receipt number on the case status page.

• If you have been abroad for less than 1 year, your expired 2-year card and I-751 receipt notice (I-797), together, are sufficient under CBP policy for the airline to allow you to board. Nevertheless, check with your airline before traveling.
• If the airline does not accept them, you must request a carrier documentation letter using Form I-131A; see 3.11 Protecting your card.
• If you will remain abroad for 1 year or longer, obtain a reentry permit before leaving. A conditional resident's permit is valid until the end of conditional status, for no more than 2 years.

• Filing jointly before the 90-day window (the application will be rejected).
• Missing the deadline and filing late without an explanation.
• Forgetting your spouse's signature or signing in the wrong place.
• Sending only photographs and affidavits and omitting joint financial documents.
• Trying to "renew" the conditional card using I-90.
• Using an old form edition or paying an insufficient fee.
• Failing to report your address within 10 days after moving.

• My card expired and I-751 is pending. Can I work? Yes. The receipt notice and expired card together provide proof of your status and work authorization for 48 months from the card expiration date.
• I got divorced. What will happen? If you entered the marriage in good faith, you may file individually and request a waiver of the joint filing requirement. Include the final divorce decree.
• My spouse will not sign the form. If you qualify for one of the waiver grounds, you may file individually. If your situation is complicated, consult an immigration attorney.
• Our marriage was more than 2 years old when we obtained status. Will I still receive a conditional card? No. Conditional status is granted only when the marriage was less than 2 years old on the day you obtained status.
• Will I be called for an interview? USCIS will call you if it considers one necessary; notice will arrive by mail.
• My child also has a conditional card. Is a separate application required? If the child obtained status at the same time as you or within 90 days, the child may be included in your application. If the child obtained status later, the child must file a separate I-751.

• Form I-751 (PDF) · Instructions (PDF)
• I-751 mailing addresses
• 90-day filing date calculator
• USCIS fee calculator
• Form I-829 (PDF)
• Form G-1145 e-Notification of application acceptance (PDF)
• USCIS fee schedule G-1055 (PDF)
• USCIS online account · Case status
• USCIS processing times
• Related: 3.1 What is a green card; rights and responsibilities · 3.9 Immigrant visa interview (Ankara) · 3.12 Losing a green card