My green card has expired on the month of February, and is now in process of getting citizenship through naturalization. I graduate in 2021 and I was wondering what can I do if I don’t get my citizenship by then ? Because of the virus, can it get delayed ? I know that I applied for my citizenship late but it’s a big headache at the moment!!
If you don’t get citizenship by then, will you still be considered a permanent resident? As far as I’m aware, permanent residents are treated the same as citizens in college admissions, if that’s what you’re worried about.
There are very few things that US citizens can do that legal permanent residents can’t do. So unless you are hell-bent on doing one of those few things, it will be OK.
@Panya15 An expired green card may create issues down the road for you. A valid, unexpired green card is necessary to accept employment, reenter the United States, and renew a driver’s license in most states. Unfortunately, this dilemma sneaks up on many people everyday that aren’t aware of the expiration date on their green cards.
In fact, U.S. immigration law requires permanent residents to carry a valid, unexpired green card at all times. Section 264 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) states, “Every alien, eighteen years of age and over, shall at all times carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card [green card] issued to him… Any alien who fails to comply with [these provisions] shall be guilty of a misdemeanor…”
Permanent residents use Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, to renew or replace a green card. They may file this green card renewal application if a card is expired or will expire within six months. I personally would advise against seeking to complete your N-400 process without at least subsequently filing I-90, given that your Green Card document expired in February, in order to avoid both possible issues during your citizenship interview and otherwise, as mentioned above. In respect to your question: it is well possible that N-400 citizenship processes might experience some delays under current circumstances.