Herman Legal Group · Permanent resident resources

Citizenship & Green Card Maintenance

Find the right next step for an expiring green card, removal of conditions, citizenship eligibility, an interview, or a naturalization denial.

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Richard T. Herman, Esq., founder of Herman Legal Group

Meet Richard T. Herman, Esq.

Founder of Herman Legal Group, with more than 30 years of immigration law experience. Our attorneys help permanent residents evaluate filing choices and address problems in their immigration records.

Richard’s attorney profile · Credentials and why clients trust Richard

Start with your situation. An expiring 10-year card, a two-year conditional card, and an application for citizenship involve different questions. Use the choices below to find a relevant HLG service or official USCIS guide. If you received a denial or another notice with a deadline, begin with that notice.

What do you need help with?

My 10-year green card is expiring, lost, or incorrect

Form I-90 is used for many green card renewals and replacements. Expiration of the 10-year card does not, by itself, end permanent resident status, but you may need updated evidence of that status. A two-year conditional card requires a separate removal-of-conditions analysis.

For an eligible I-90 renewal, the receipt notice and expired card can provide extended evidence of status. If the card is lost, that same document combination is unavailable; ask USCIS about temporary proof of status. The USCIS renewal-extension announcement explains the distinction.

HLG help: Green card renewal and replacement representation.

Official starting point: Form I-90 and current instructions.

I have a two-year marriage-based green card or a pending I-751

Removing marriage-based conditions generally involves Form I-751, rather than using I-90 to renew the conditional card. A joint petition is generally filed during the 90 days before conditional residence expires. Separation, divorce, abuse, a spouse’s death, or a missed filing window can change the analysis; do not assume the joint-filing rule resolves a waiver or late-filing case.

Build an evidence timeline across the marriage. A recent joint bank statement may show both names on an account, but it does not explain how the household managed money over earlier years. Identify those gaps before submitting a packet. Use the Marriage & Family Filing Checklists to organize related records.

HLG help: I-751 removal of conditions, changed marriages and waiver questions.

Official starting point: Form I-751, filing rules and evidence instructions. Investor-based conditional residence uses a different process.

I want citizenship, but something in my history worries me

Naturalization requires more than reaching an anniversary on your green card. Identify the applicable eligibility route, then review residence, travel, marital history where relevant, and the answers supported by your records. The three-year route has specific requirements for qualifying spouses of U.S. citizens; receiving a marriage-based green card alone does not establish eligibility.

Bring long trips, arrests or charges, tax issues, support obligations, voting or citizenship-claim concerns, and discrepancies in earlier filings to counsel’s attention before filing. These issues do not all have the same consequence. An eligibility review should identify what happened, what the records show, and which rule applies.

HLG help: Naturalization and complex citizenship representation.

Official starting points: Form N-400 instructions, continuous residence rules and naturalization for qualifying spouses.

I have a citizenship interview or need test information

Prepare to discuss your application and the documents supporting it, including changes since filing. Test practice is one part of preparation. Match your study materials to the test version USCIS assigns based on your filing date, and check whether an English exception, disability exception, or accommodation may apply.

Use your appointment notice for the place, time and required documents. Keep a list of changes in travel, addresses, marital status or other application answers so you can discuss accurate updates with counsel.

Start with the official USCIS naturalization interview and test guide. For case-specific preparation, see HLG’s citizenship services.

USCIS denied my N-400 or I need N-336 help

Save the complete denial, envelope or electronic delivery information, application copy, and supporting records. Form N-336 is the usual request for a USCIS hearing on an N-400 denial. Have the actual filing deadline checked promptly; waiting for records or booking a consultation does not preserve it.

The next step depends on the denial grounds and procedural history. A new N-400 filing does not automatically preserve hearing rights. If USCIS has already denied an N-336, review the decision and any potential court remedy with counsel.

HLG help: N-336 hearings and citizenship denial review.

Official starting point: Form N-336 and current filing instructions. For a different kind of agency notice, use the USCIS Notices, RFEs & Denials resource hub.

Organize your evidence before a review

Use this worksheet to prepare for a discussion. It is an organizing aid, not a complete filing checklist. Mark each item as available, requested, or needs explanation; the required evidence depends on the application and your history.

Record → purpose → common gap → useful review question
Record to organize	What it helps establish	Common gap	Question for attorney review
Card, receipt notices and decisions	Case type, dates and available proof of status	Expired card, missing receipt, or wrong filing assumption	Which process and status document fit this situation?
Passports and a trip log	Dates abroad and travel patterns	Incomplete dates or unexplained extended stays	How do the trips affect residence and physical presence?
Marriage and household timeline	Relationship history and shared life	Records cover only the newest months	What explains gaps, separation, or a changed filing basis?
Tax and support records	What was filed, paid or arranged	Missing returns or an unresolved obligation	What needs explanation and which supporting records matter?
Certified court records	Charges and final dispositions	Only a personal summary or an incomplete docket	What is the immigration effect of the actual disposition?
Earlier applications and the current draft	Consistency across the immigration record	Conflicting dates, names or prior answers	How should an error be investigated and accurately addressed?
Denial and service information	Reasons for denial and procedural timing	Only the first page or no delivery information	What deadline and review route apply?

Example: a shared lease may help show a shared address during its term. It does not explain a different address on a tax return or a later period of separation. Organize an accurate timeline and the records needed to explain the difference.

Schedule a document review or eligibility consultation with Richard or another HLG attorney.

Keep your status records and contact information current

Maintain copies of filings, receipts and decisions, monitor your mail and USCIS account, and keep a travel log. Use the USCIS change-of-address instructions after moving; changing your address with the Postal Service alone does not update USCIS. If your filing involves an I-751 abuse waiver or another protected case, follow the special procedures in those instructions.

Maintaining permanent residence and qualifying for naturalization are related but separate questions. A card’s expiration date does not determine whether extended travel creates a residence problem. Review USCIS guidance on maintaining permanent residence and the naturalization continuous-residence rules before a long absence.

Check current USCIS processing times for the relevant form and office, and use the receipt notice for your own case information. An extension of card validity is not a promised adjudication time. Check current government filing fees before submitting forms.

Choose the kind of attorney help you need

Eligibility or strategy consultation

$200 · 60 minutes

For questions about whether to file, the effect of a past event, a changed marriage, or a notice or denial.

Bring a short timeline, the relevant notices and your main questions.

Book a Confidential Consultation

Review of documents you prepared

$500 · 60 minutes

For self-filers who want an attorney to review prepared forms and supporting evidence before filing.

Confirm the scope and how to provide the materials when arranging the review.

Schedule a Document Review

Consultation and document-review fees shown on HLG’s booking page when checked October 3, 2026. Confirm the current fee and scope when booking. Representation and government filing fees are separate.

HLG offers consultations through its Cleveland office, Columbus-area office in Worthington, and remote formats. You can request Richard or another attorney. Check your government appointment notice and the USCIS field-office locator for the location of an interview; a consultation location does not determine USCIS jurisdiction.

Questions that often change the next step

Can I apply for citizenship while I-751 is pending?

Potentially, if you meet the naturalization requirements. A pending I-751 does not establish N-400 eligibility, and filing N-400 does not remove the conditions. USCIS says it will adjudicate I-751 before or concurrently with N-400. See the USCIS policy on removing marriage-based conditions and discuss your eligibility and filing history with counsel.

Does an expired green card mean I lost permanent residence?

Expiration of a 10-year card alone does not end permanent resident status. You still need appropriate evidence of status, and two-year conditional residence has separate requirements. Start with HLG’s renewal and replacement guide.

Should I study for the citizenship test before checking eligibility?

You can study at any time, but passing a test does not resolve an eligibility problem. If travel, court records, taxes or earlier immigration filings concern you, address those questions before filing. The USCIS interview and test guide explains the test component. For study materials, HLG’s civics test guide explains which test version applies to your filing date.