It has always been extremely important for lawful permanent residents to timely renew their green cards. The failure to do so could result in issues with employment or travel since proof of permanent resident status was not necessarily available simply by showing an employer or immigration officer an expired green card.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has previously eased the burden on permanent residents by extending the validity of their green cards for 12 months upon the request for a renewal. USCIS has now extended the automatic validity to 24 months, which should be helpful to many permanent residents given the government’s slow processing times.
Here is the USCIS’ press release:
