US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that as of June 11, 2018, petitioners who file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, or Form I-829, Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status, will receive a Form I-797 receipt notice which can be presented with their Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card, as evidence of continued status for eighteen months past the expiration date on their Permanent Resident Card.

USCIS says they are making the change from twelve to eighteen months because current processing times for Form I-751 and Form I-829 have increased over the past year. Additionally, USCIS will issue new Form I-797 receipt notices to eligible conditional permanent residents whose Form I-751 or I-829 was still pending as of June 11, 2018. Those Form I-797 receipt notices will also serve as evidence of continued status for eighteen months past the expiration date on the petitioner’s Permanent Resident Card.

USCIS also reminds conditional permanent residents who plan to be outside of the US for a year or more to apply for a reentry permit by filing Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, before leaving the US. More information can be found on USCIS’s Green Card webpage.