Green card not here after 90 days check the Immigrant Fee and your address first
For green card holders who entered on an immigrant visa, USCIS does not give a fixed delivery time for the card. The official rule: if you have not received your green card 90 days after paying the USCIS Immigrant Fee (or 90 days after entering, if you paid before you arrived), contact USCIS through its online help form or e-Request. Before that, check three things: whether the Immigrant Fee is paid (no fee, no card), whether USCIS has the right address on file (changing your address with USPS does not change it with USCIS), and whether your USCIS online account or Case Status Online shows the card as mailed. While you wait, your passport with the immigrant visa and admission stamp proves green card status for 1 year from the date of entry, and it is accepted for Form I-9 at work.
This article is for people who entered from abroad on an immigrant visa. If you are adjusting status inside the US (I-485), see the section near the end. K-1 fiancé(e)s enter as nonimmigrants and do not pay the Immigrant Fee, so the 90-day rule here does not apply; for the marriage steps, see WEDDING.
Green card not arrived check this table first
| Situation | How to check | What to do | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immigrant Fee not paid yet | After you enter, USCIS mails you a payment notice | Pay online by the deadline in the notice; no fee means no card, but your status is not affected | USCIS |
| Your address changed | The card goes to the most recent US address USCIS has on file | Change your address in your USCIS online account and with USPS; file AR-11 within 10 days of moving | USCIS |
| Shows as mailed but never arrived | USPS tracking number in your online account, or Case Status Online | First follow the USPS missing mail steps; if it still has not turned up, send USCIS a “did not receive card by mail” inquiry | USCIS |
| No news after 90 days | Count from the payment date; if you paid before entry, count from the entry date | USCIS online help form or e-Request | USCIS |
| Card returned or lost | USCIS tries to mail it again | To get it reissued, you generally file I-90 | USCIS |
Your SSN card is mailed separately from your green card. If you requested an SSN on the DS-260, SSA says it should arrive within 3 weeks of entry; if it does not, call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 (SSA POMS RM 10205.600). For the other steps after arrival, see What to do in the first 90 days after entering on a green card.
Step 1 check that the Immigrant Fee is paid
USCIS uses this fee to process your immigrant visa packet and produce your green card. USCIS strongly encourages you to pay online after you pick up your immigrant visa and before you leave for the US. You can also pay after you arrive: USCIS will mail you a notice requesting payment, with instructions. If you do not pay within the time listed in the notice, you will not receive your green card (USCIS Immigrant Fee page).
- Who can pay for you: a family member, friend, employer, attorney or accredited representative can pay, using your A-Number and DOS Case ID.
- What the two numbers look like: the A-Number is the letter “A” followed by 8 or 9 digits; the DOS Case ID is 3 letters followed by 9 or 10 digits. A Diversity Visa (DV) Case ID is 4 digits, 2 letters, then 5 more digits. The US embassy or consulate gives you these, along with the payment instructions, when it issues your visa.
- Who does not pay: children entering under the orphan or Hague adoption programs, Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants, returning lawful permanent residents (SB-1), and K nonimmigrants.
- Paid twice or by mistake: tell USCIS through the USCIS online help form.
For the amount, use the USCIS fee schedule G-1055 (choose USCIS Immigrant Fee). This article does not give a number because the USCIS explanation page did not list one on the day we checked. This fee is separate from the immigrant visa application fees the State Department collects.
Step 2 check the address USCIS has
USCIS mails the green card only to the US address you gave the State Department at your immigrant visa interview, or the new address you gave CBP when you entered. If you moved after entry, it goes to the most recent address in your USCIS file (USCIS Immigrant Fee page).
- Change your address with USCIS: use your USCIS online account; you must pass an identity verification quiz when you create the account. How to do it: USCIS online account.
- Change it with USPS too: USCIS says changing your address with USPS does not change your USCIS record, and USPS will not forward mail from USCIS, so do both (USCIS change of address page). For USPS mail forwarding, see USPS mail forwarding.
- AR-11 within 10 days: noncitizens must tell USCIS within 10 days of every move; A and G visa holders and visa waiver visitors are exempt. If you stayed with family or friends at first and then moved into your long-term home, that move counts too. See AR-11 report your move to USCIS within 10 days.
- Put your name on the mailbox: USCIS recommends labeling your mailbox with your name, especially in an apartment or other multi-unit building. Check your address format with the USPS Look Up a ZIP Code tool before you submit it (USCIS delivery tracking page).
Step 3 check whether the card has been mailed
USCIS mails green cards by USPS Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation (the Secure Mail Initiative). If you sign in to your USCIS online account, you get the USPS tracking number when the card is mailed; without an online account, you can check Case Status Online to see whether the card has been mailed (USCIS delivery tracking page).
- USPS Informed Delivery: daily images of mail addressed to you, plus package tracking. How to set it up: USPS Informed Delivery.
- Tracking says delivered but you do not have it: follow the USPS Find Missing Mail steps, and start as soon as you think it is missing.
- Asked USPS and still nothing: it may have gone back to USCIS. Call the USCIS Contact Center, or choose “did not receive card by mail” in e-Request. USCIS can sometimes mail it a second time.
No card after 90 days how to contact USCIS
| When you paid the Immigrant Fee | Where the 90 days start |
|---|---|
| Before entry (paid before you left) | The day you entered the US |
| After entry (paid after the notice arrived) | The day you paid |
After 90 days, USCIS asks you to use its online help form, or to send an inquiry through e-Request (USCIS Immigrant Fee page). You can also call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833); live agents answer Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern. From outside the US, call 212-620-3418 (USCIS Contact Center page).
Before you ask, have your A-Number, DOS Case ID, entry date, payment date and current US address ready.
Card lost or returned should you file I-90 again
USCIS says that when a card is returned, it first tries to mail it again; if it still is not delivered, you generally have to file a new form to get it reissued (USCIS page on correcting and replacing documents).
- The form: for a green card, file I-90 and check 2.b. or 3.b., “My previous card was issued but never received,” with a government-issued ID and a copy of your latest I-797. You can file online or by mail (uscis.gov/i-90).
- Do you pay a fee: if you did not receive the card because of something on your side (for example, not giving USCIS your current address), you generally pay; if it was a USCIS or USPS error, you generally do not pay again. For the amount, see G-1055.
- Wrong information on the card: this is also a reason to replace the card (USCIS Replace Your Green Card page). If the error was made by USCIS, the process is different; see the instructions on that page.
If you are not sure whether to file or which category to check, ask an attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative.
Using the I-551 stamp while you wait for the card
A machine-readable immigrant visa (MRIV) usually carries the text “UPON ENDORSEMENT SERVES AS TEMPORARY I-551 EVIDENCING PERMANENT RESIDENCE FOR 1 YEAR.” The admission stamp CBP puts in your passport when you enter, together with that immigrant visa, proves you are a green card holder for 1 year from the date of entry (USCIS I-9 Central).
- Form I-9 at work: a passport with an immigrant visa carrying a temporary I-551 stamp or notation is a List A document for I-9. If the visa does not say “FOR 1 YEAR,” employers still treat it as valid for 1 year from entry (USCIS I-9 acceptable documents).
- Domestic flights: TSA accepts foreign government-issued passports, and green cards and EADs are on the list too. Since 2026-02-01, people without an acceptable ID can pay $45 to use TSA ConfirmID (TSA).
- Travel abroad: USCIS says a green card is valid for returning to the US after a trip abroad of no more than 1 year (USCIS). If you have only the I-551 stamp and need to leave before the card arrives, these USCIS pages do not say what to do; before you go, ask VISA or an attorney.
USCIS also reminds permanent residents aged 18 or older to carry a valid green card at all times. Until the card arrives, your passport and immigrant visa are your proof of status, so keep them safe.
If you adjusted status inside the US (I-485)
- The green card goes to the address on your application; if you have a G-28 and asked for documents to go to your attorney or representative, it goes to them (USCIS delivery tracking page).
- If you move after filing, update your address with both USCIS and USPS as soon as possible. USCIS says that if you do not, your case could be delayed, your documents could get lost, and you may need to reapply and pay the fee again.
- Tracking works the same way: the USPS tracking number in your online account, or Case Status Online. The Immigrant Fee and the 90-day rule are for people who entered on an immigrant visa.
Frequently asked questions
How long after entry does the green card arrive?
USCIS does not give a fixed time. If it has not arrived 90 days after you paid the Immigrant Fee (counting from entry if you paid before arriving), contact USCIS through the online help form or e-Request.
What happens if I do not pay the Immigrant Fee?
USCIS will not mail your green card. Your permanent resident status is not affected, but your only proof of status is the I-551 stamp, valid for 1 year from entry.
I already changed my address with USPS. Will the green card be forwarded?
No. USCIS says USPS will not forward mail from USCIS. Change your address in your USCIS online account.
Can I start work before the green card arrives?
Yes. A passport with an immigrant visa carrying a temporary I-551 stamp is a List A document for I-9, valid for 1 year from entry.
Do I have to pay again if the green card was lost?
It depends on why. If you did not update your address, you generally pay the I-90 fee; if it was a USCIS or USPS error, you generally do not pay again.
Fitting the green card into your first year
The AR-11 10 days, Selective Service 30 days, health insurance 60 days and green card 90 days are all in the free deadline table for new immigrants. Opening a USCIS online account and tracking your case is one item in the full version of the My USA Plan checklist : the first 30 items are free, and the full 91 items cost US$9.90 once, not a subscription. For in-depth questions about your status, go to VISA.
Sources and dates checked
All checked on 2026-10-26. This article is not legal or immigration advice; for decisions about your status, consult an attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative.
- USCIS Immigrant Fee (page updated 2024-04-08):https://www.uscis.gov/forms/filing-fees/uscis-immigrant-fee
- USCIS fee schedule G-1055 (edition 2026-10-16):https://www.uscis.gov/g-1055
- USCIS delivery tracking:How to Track Delivery of Your Notice or Secure Identity Document
- USCIS document correction and replacement:Information About Your Immigration Document
- USCIS green card replacement and I-90:Replace Your Green Card, uscis.gov/i-90
- USCIS after your green card is granted:After We Grant Your Green Card
- USCIS change of address and AR-11:https://www.uscis.gov/addresschange, https://www.uscis.gov/ar-11
- USCIS Contact Center:https://www.uscis.gov/contactcenter
- USCIS I-9 Central: Temporary I-551 stamps and MRIVs, I-9 acceptable documents
- TSA acceptable identification:https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification
- SSA POMS: RM 10205.600