USCIS Form I-751 - Petition to Remove Conditions

Form I-751 is one of many forms provided by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). It is used for turning the conditional Green Cards into Permanent Resident Cards. Learn who needs to file the “Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence” and how it’s done.

Who needs to file Form I-751?

If you are holding a marriage-based conditional Green Card, it is not enough to renew it after ten years, as other Green Card holders do. Instead, after two years of holding your conditional residence, you first have to remove the imposed time constraint using Form I-751.

But why are marriage-based Green Cards conditional in the first place? The answer is: to prevent fraud. For fear of sham marriages, USCIS wants to make sure that your marriage is bona fide and that you did not marry just to get a Green Card.

Required documents for Form I-751

If you want to remove the conditions from your Green Card, hand in the following documents along with your I-751 petition:

• A copy of your Green Card (both sides)
• Proof that your marriage was started “in good faith,” e.g., birth certificates of joint children, rental contracts, mortgage contracts, financial documentation, affidavits of relatives, and other documents that can prove your bona fide marriage
• If you are widowed: the death certificate of your spouse
• If you experienced domestic violence: evidence of the abuse, e.g., police reports or medical documentation, court orders, or other documents
• If you are divorced: a copy of the divorce decree
• Other documents that prove your situation depending on your case
• Court and criminal records
• Copies of all documents requested
• Certified translations of the documents requested, in case they are written in a foreign language

How to file Form I-751

When completing Form I-751 by hand, use black ink and write neatly, readably, and within the given space. Don’t highlight or paint over your writing because USCIS is using scanners.

When removing the conditions from your Green Card, you will go through the following steps:

1. Download the latest available version of the I-751 form on the USCIS website
2. Read the latest available instructions to learn about the required evidence in your case, exceptions and waivers, and guidelines for payments.
3. Complete Form I-751. All fields have to be filled, so if you have nothing to state, write “N/A” in the text fields or “0” in the number fields.
4. Write your name, date of birth, and Alien Registration Number (also called A-Number or USCIS number) on every page, double-check your data and signature, and send the form to:
   
   

   US States	I-751 filling addresses
   Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming	U.S. Postal Service: USCIS P.O. Box 21200 Phoenix, AZ 85036 FedEx, UPS, and DHL: USCIS Attn: I-751 1820 E. Skyharbor Circle S Suite 100 Phoenix, AZ 85034
   Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Wisconsin	U.S. Postal Service (USPS): USCIS Attn: I-751 P.O. Box 4072 Carol Stream, IL 60197-4072 FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries: USCIS Attn: I-751 (Box 4072) 2500 Westfield Drive Elgin, IL 60124-7836

5. Pay the filing fees.
6. If you want to stay up to date on your status and get online notifications from USCIS, create a USCIS-online account.

How much does it cost to file Form I-751?

When filing Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, be prepared to pay the following fees:

*All fees are subject to change at any time without prior notice.

When do I need to file Form I-751?

The date you need to apply for removal of your Green Card conditions depends on your personal situation. When filing together with your spouse, you have to petition within 90 days before your status expires.

If the joint filing with a spouse is waived (e. g., because of death, divorce, or domestic violence), you can file I-751 any time after you are granted your conditional resident status.

How long is the processing time for Form I-751?

The waiting time in the I-751 process to remove the conditions from your Green Card varies depending on whether you are filing in joint with your spouse or alone (with a waiver), the US state you are filing the petition in, and your individual case. Wait times range from 5 to 43 months.

What happens if I don’t file Form I-751 in time?

If you fail to send in I-751 in time, you are risking termination of your permanent resident status. If this is the case, you will receive a Notice to Appear (NTA) from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), asking you to appear before an immigration judge.

Can I file I-751 online?

You can’t file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, online yet. However, USCIS allows you to add a paper-filed case to your USCIS online account to check your status at all times.

What happens after filing I-751?

Some weeks after you filed Form I-751, USCIS will send you a “Form I-797 Notice of Action,” which is a receipt stating that the processing has begun. Form I-797 extends and proves your conditional residence until the process is finished, so carry it with you at all times.

Do I need a lawyer to remove conditions with I-751?

You don’t necessarily need an attorney to remove your conditional status. However, if you feel like your case is complicated and things are unclear or hard to prove, you might want to get help.

Are children included in Form I-751?

Your children can be included in your I-751 petition to remove the conditions on your residence if:

• they received their conditional residence status on the same day as you, or
• they received their status within 90 days after you received yours.

Otherwise, your offspring must file their petition together with your spouse, who is a US citizen or Permanent Resident.