Q : Why announce this proposed replacement of Forms I-551 without an expiration date now?

Replacement of the outstanding permanent resident cards without expiration dates is critical to the national security mission of USCIS.  Replacement of the cards will ensure that cardholders’ fingerprints and photographs are updated so as to provide better evidence of the identity of the cardholders, more modern and secure cards are placed into circulation, and the replacement cards will be more tamper-resistant.  In the past, USCIS has recalled and replaced earlier versions of the Permanent Resident Card that did not contain an expiration date. It is critical that USCIS begin to remove from circulation this final version of the Permanent Resident Card containing no expiration date.

Since the replacement program is only proposed, affected individuals are not yet required to replace their cards. However, they nevertheless may choose to apply now to replace their cards. Early applications may be processed in shorter times than those filed later, given the number of permanent residents affected.