If I am a “permanent resident” why does my green card expire in ten years?

The Permanent Resident Status does not expire only the issued card Expires and must be renewed before the expiration date as required by the statutory regulations.

A common misconception is that a Person’s Permanent Resident Status Expires when the Card Expires. That is not the case. Only the card expires every 10 ears and not the person’s status as a Permanent Resident of the United States.

A Permanent Resident Document must be renewed for travel purposes or for verification purposes. A person’s Permanent Residence Status remains always as a Permanent Resident unless the person abandons his/her residency ( moving permanently out of the United States as a matter of sample), the Permanent Resident Status is revoked because of violation of the United States Laws, or because the person becomes a United States Citizen.

A person granted Permanent Resident Status has been given the right to permanently live in the United States, however, that right can be divested if the person performs certain acts that can result in the filing of a Notice to Appear that initiates Removal Proceedings because of violation of Section 237 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (grounds of deportation).

At the time a person is required to renew his/her expired Green Card Document, the person is taken his/her biometrics to determine if the person is the person originally granted Permanent Residence (identification purposes) and whether or not that person has committed any criminal act that will cause his/her right to be divested during removal proceedings before an Immigration Judge.