You may have already accomplished the challenging feat of obtaining lawful permanent resident status in the first place. So, you may assume that renewing your green card is a routine formality. However, you must not get too comfortable here, as the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) retains the right to issue you a denial notice. With that being said, please read on to discover why your green card renewal might have been denied and how a seasoned green card lawyer in Milwaukee, WI, at Sesini Law Group, S.C., can help you bounce back from it.
Why would the USCIS deny my green card renewal?
You may be shocked to learn that, every year, the USCIS denies thousands of Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card. You may receive your personal denial notice via physical mail or a notification on your USCIS online account. Either way, this notice may explain why your application was denied, which may be for any one of the following reasons:
- The USCIS may have ruled that your application information was incomplete or incorrect.
- The USCIS may have ruled that your application was missing supporting documentation.
- The USCIS may have ruled that your application was missing the mandatory filing fee.
- The USCIS may have found that you have a criminal history or pending charges against you.
- The USCIS may have found that you have a history of deportation or removal orders from the U.S.
- The USCIS may have determined that you no longer qualify for lawful permanent resident status:
- You have been found to commit certain acts that make you removable and inadmissible.
- You have been found to have spent too much time outside the U.S. during your permanent residency.
- You have been found to demonstrate zero proof of your intention to remain permanently in the U.S.
What does a green card renewal denial mean for me?
Though it is easy to do, you must try not to panic when receiving a denial notice from the USCIS. Rather, you must take a step back and remember that your green card renewal denial is not necessarily the same as your loss of permanent residency status. This is because your green card is an identification document of your status, not the source of your status itself.
Even so, though, you must prepare for the practical consequences of a green card renewal denial. That is, your renewal application may expose underlying issues that might affect your status. For example, if the USCIS unearths that you have violated U.S. immigration or criminal law in some way during your stay.
Therefore, this may prompt the USCIS to take formal measures to terminate your lawful permanent resident status. Specifically, they may send you a Notice to Appear, which commences your deportation proceedings. This is when you must begin taking things seriously and obtain legal representation almost instantaneously.
No matter what specific immigration matter you are currently dealing with, a competent family immigration lawyer in Milwaukee, WI, from Sesini Law Group, S.C., is willing and able to step in and facilitate the process. Retain our legal services today.