2-Year to 10-Year Green Card: Removing Conditions with Form I-751

A 2-year green card is a conditional permanent resident card, usually issued to people who got their green card through marriage when the marriage was less than 2 years old on the day the card was granted. To get a 10-year card, you file Form I-751 (Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence) in the 90 days before the card expires. The fee under the G-1055 Fee Schedule (edition October 16, 2026) is $700 online and $750 on paper. A 2-year card cannot be renewed: if you don't file Form I-751, you lose your permanent resident status.

What is a 2-year green card?

According to the USCIS Conditional Permanent Residence page (checked October 19, 2026), a conditional permanent resident receives a green card valid for 2 years. You have the same rights as other permanent residents: to live, work and travel. The difference is that you must ask to remove the conditions before the card expires.

USCIS is clear: you cannot renew a conditional green card with Form I-90. If your conditions are not removed, you lose your permanent resident status and become removable from the United States.

If you are preparing to sponsor your spouse, see also Sponsoring Your Spouse for a Green Card.

When do I file Form I-751?

According to the USCIS I-751 page (updated June 16, 2026):

• Joint filing with your spouse: file during the 90-day period immediately before your card expires. Filing earlier may get the petition rejected. USCIS has a page to find the first day you can file.
• Waiver of the joint filing requirement: file on your own at any time before your card expires, if you qualify on one of these grounds: a good-faith marriage that ended in divorce or annulment; your spouse died; you were battered or subjected to extreme cruelty; or removal would cause extreme hardship.
• Children: children who got conditional cards at the same time as a parent are usually included in the parent's Form I-751.

An example to show how the window works (not a calculation for your case): if your card expires on June 1, the joint filing window opens about 90 days earlier, in early March.

How much is the Form I-751 fee?

According to the G-1055 Fee Schedule (edition October 16, 2026, checked October 19, 2026):

How you file	Form I-751 fee
Online	$700
Paper	$750
Waiver based on battery or extreme cruelty	$0

Fees can change, so check again on the day you file.

What evidence shows the marriage is real?

According to USCIS Removing Conditions on Permanent Residence Based on Marriage, you submit evidence that the marriage is genuine (bona fide), not entered only to get a green card. Common examples from the Form I-751 instructions:

• Housing: a lease or deed in both names.
• Shared finances: joint bank accounts, credit cards, insurance listing each other.
• Birth certificates of children born to the marriage (if any).
• Joint tax returns.
• Sworn affidavits from people who know you both, with their contact information.

The more real documents of your shared life over the past 2 years, the clearer the case.

What happens after I file Form I-751?

1. Receipt notice (Form I-797): according to a USCIS announcement, the Form I-751 receipt notice together with your (expired) 2-year card proves permanent resident status for 48 months from the expiration date on the card. Use them for work and travel while you wait.
2. Biometrics: USCIS may schedule a biometrics appointment.
3. Interview: USCIS may call you for an interview or decide without one.
4. Decision: if approved, you receive a 10-year green card.

Current processing times are on the USCIS Processing Times page (select Form I-751).

Can I apply for citizenship with a 2-year card?

Your time as a conditional resident counts toward the residence required for naturalization. If you are married to and living with a U.S. citizen, you may be able to file Form N-400 after 3 years as a permanent resident. Details are in What Is Form N-400?. If your Form I-751 is still pending when you file Form N-400, USCIS generally reviews both; ask a licensed immigration attorney about your own situation.

When you prepare for the citizenship test, you can practice free with N400 Ready.

Can I travel abroad with a 2-year card?

Yes. A valid card, or an expired card with the Form I-751 receipt notice, lets you return to the U.S. after temporary travel. The rules on time spent abroad are the same as for every permanent resident; see How Long Can a Green Card Holder Stay Outside the U.S.?. Don't miss the Form I-751 deadline because you are traveling.

Need someone to prepare your Form I-751?

You can file Form I-751 yourself. If you would like someone to prepare the paperwork, Manna One Solution's immigration document preparation service works online with clients across the U.S., in English or Vietnamese. Manna One Solution is not a law firm and does not give legal advice; some states require non-attorney immigration document preparers to register with the state, so we confirm the state you live in before taking your case. Waiver cases (divorce, abuse, a spouse who has died) should go to a licensed immigration attorney.

Sources

• USCIS — I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence (updated June 16, 2026; checked October 19, 2026)
• USCIS — Conditional Permanent Residence (checked October 19, 2026)
• USCIS — Removing Conditions on Permanent Residence Based on Marriage (checked October 19, 2026)
• USCIS — When to File Your Petition to Remove Conditions (checked October 19, 2026)
• USCIS — 48-month green card extension for pending Form I-751 (checked October 19, 2026)
• USCIS — G-1055 Fee Schedule (edition 10/16/26) (checked October 19, 2026)