Do you lose your green card?

Yes, after naturalization the new citizen no longer needs the green card and surrenders it at the Oath of Allegiance ceremony. The Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551) was the document that established the holder's status as a lawful permanent resident under section 264 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. section 1304); once the holder becomes a U.S. citizen, that status is replaced by U.S. citizenship, which is permanent and is established by the Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550), the U.S. passport, and other federal documents. USCIS collects the green card at the oath ceremony to prevent any future use of the now-invalid document and to maintain the integrity of the lawful permanent resident system.

Applicants who lost their green card before the ceremony, or whose green card expired before adjudication of the N-400, should still attend the ceremony; USCIS will note the missing card in the file but will proceed with the oath. After the ceremony, the new citizen receives the Certificate of Naturalization, which is the primary lifelong proof of citizenship and is accepted by every federal agency, every state government, and every private entity that needs to verify U.S. citizenship status.

The new citizen typically applies for a U.S. passport within weeks of the ceremony at any U.S. Department of State passport agency or post office acceptance facility (Form DS-11, with a $130 passport book fee plus a $35 acceptance fee under the 2025 schedule). The passport provides a more portable form of proof of citizenship that does not need to be guarded as carefully as the original certificate. The new citizen also typically updates Social Security records to reflect citizen status (Form SS-5 at the local Social Security office, presenting the Certificate of Naturalization), updates voter registration with state or local election officials, and updates federal and state tax records.

The new citizen no longer needs to renew or update permanent resident documentation, no longer needs to file Form I-90 (Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card) every ten years, and is no longer subject to the Department of Homeland Security's permanent-residence-related requirements (such as the obligation to maintain U.S. residence and to notify USCIS of address changes within 10 days under Form AR-11).