Update to "Our approval sent but we never received it"

[dasha 0]

This is an update to my other post about learning that we had supposedly been sent a "notice of approval" for my husband's I-751 petition back in July, but we'd never received it. Some response posts suggested the notice that never arrived didn't mean our petition had been approved, but just that it had been moved from NE to CA. But I still needed to learn exactly what it meant, and especially why we'd never received it, and what would happen now.

I called the customer service 800 number yesterday (Monday) and explained the situation to the customer service rep. I asked if what was supposedly sent on July 21 was just a notice that our case had been moved from NE to CA or a notice that my husband's petition had actually been approved. She didn't sound like she knew for sure, but said that she assumed it meant the petition had been approved...but why we hadn't received either that notice or the green card itself, she had no idea. She said she'd submit a "service request" to the CA office about our case and said we should expect a response from them "within 45 days."

What a surprise to receive an email from the CA office already today, after just one day! Here's what the message said:

"The status of this service request is:

"On (07/21/2008 originally mailed), we created a Permanent Resident Card for you and mailed it to the address we had on file at that time, but the post office returned it to us. Recently, you called to tell us that you did not receive your Permanent Resident Card. As a courtesy, we have enclosed your Permanent Resident Card with this letter. In the future, if you change your address please contact customer service at the number provided below.

"If you have any further questions, please call the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283.

"Please remember: By law, every person who is not a U.S. citizen and who is over the age of 14 must submit Form AR-11 AND notify this office of their change of address, within 10 days from when they move (persons in "A" or "G" nonimmigrant status are exempt from this requirement). To notify this office of a move, visit our website at: www.uscis.gov or call the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283. The Form AR-11 can be downloaded from our website or you can call the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 and we can order one for you. Instructions for filing the Form AR-11, including mailing instructions, are included on the Form."

Obviously, the new green card was not attached to the email, so I'm assuming the email message is a duplicate of an actual letter that has been sent with the actual card...which they are resending "as a courtesy."

I have no idea why the card would've been returned to them back in July. We have not moved since getting married, and they must have our correct address since we've always received everything else from them (including the appointment notice for the biometrics for this very green card petition). I don't remember from the first green card...do they mail it via registered mail, so that someone must sign for it when it arrives? Even if that had happened and no one was home to sign when they first tried to deliver it, the P.O. always leaves an orange post card saying there's registered mail that needs to be signed for...and they try to deliver it up to 3 times (or you can go to the P.O. to pick it up) before they return it to sender...but we never got any notice of registered mail back in July.

So I guess it must remain a mystery why it wasn't delivered. (My suspicious mind is starting to think that they never did mail it, but are saying they did just to cover their mistake ). I suppose we could have checked the status of it earlier...but all I kept reading was how long it was taking because of first-time green card and citizenship petitions getting priority...plus we've been dealing with a lot of other stuff and have had our minds on that...so we were just waiting on hearing about the petition. If my husband wasn't planning to be out of the country when his 1-year extension letter would expire, we might still have not checked on the status!

Oh well. Hopefully "the language" of the email we received can mean only one thing...that the petition really has been granted (way back in July, even) and they're resending the green card...and hopefully they've sent it off already and it will successfully arrive this time, and before my husband leaves the country (so I don't have to pay DHL to hand-deliver it to him while he's in Turkey!).

Will post again when it arrives (fingers crossed ).

[milimelo 4,418]

Funny how they say they mailed it and "apparently" you moved and it was returned to them.

Sounds a lot like our case with the conditional (CR-1 DCF-based) card that was also supposedly mailed but we never received it - ended up involving our congressman to get the card as we straight out refused to pay another $380 to get a new one - and they wanted me to say 1. I received it and then 1. I lost, mutilated the card. Yeah right.

Of course they can't show you any proof that your card was ever mailed.

The card comes in a simple envelope - no receipt required at all, no signature required. To me it is a bit too lax to send mail like that - who knows who can steal your mail and start using your info from the card.

Hope your husband gets his card soon!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

While I don't expect this will happen it would be a good exercise to take a look at the envelope in which the card was mailed. No, it is sent regular mail and no one has to sign for it. The reason I say it would be good to look at the envelope is that back when I was renewing my AP while waiting for my AOS to be approved, I received the AP and am astonished that I did. The address ink on the envelope was so badly smeared (while being printed by USCIS) that it was barely legible. I have to give high praise to my postman who figured out where it belonged and dellivered it. The name was obliterated, the street number and the first half of the street name was barely legible if you looked very closely through the smears but the second half of the street name was illegible. The city was illegible but the zip code could also be made out if you looked very hard and very closely. By all rights that envelope should not have made it through but it did. I wonder how many of the returned mail USCIS gets is actually because they screwed up the address labels while printing them in the first place.

[jamieswith 0]

While I don't expect this will happen it would be a good exercise to take a look at the envelope in which the card was mailed. No, it is sent regular mail and no one has to sign for it. The reason I say it would be good to look at the envelope is that back when I was renewing my AP while waiting for my AOS to be approved, I received the AP and am astonished that I did. The address ink on the envelope was so badly smeared (while being printed by USCIS) that it was barely legible. I have to give high praise to my postman who figured out where it belonged and dellivered it. The name was obliterated, the street number and the first half of the street name was barely legible if you looked very closely through the smears but the second half of the street name was illegible. The city was illegible but the zip code could also be made out if you looked very hard and very closely. By all rights that envelope should not have made it through but it did. I wonder how many of the returned mail USCIS gets is actually because they screwed up the address labels while printing them in the first place.

I agree.

Perhaps what happened to my NOA... ah well - at least I have my passport stamp lol

[karenros 0]

the envelope that green card arrives looks a junk mail.. the first time i recieved my green card i was about to pitch it thinking it was junk mail...

[Jasman0717 9]

It sounds like they think you moved, did you? Anyway, it looks like you got the approval so hopefully the card will be delivered. Did you verify your address when you called? That call may have triggered the new email. Good luck

[dasha 0]

It sounds like they think you moved, did you? Anyway, it looks like you got the approval so hopefully the card will be delivered. Did you verify your address when you called? That call may have triggered the new email. Good luck

No, we haven't moved since getting married. When I called customer service, the woman went to great pains to ensure they had the correct address before sending a new card. But they have always had our correct address...we've always received everything from them at our current address, including the extension letter and biometrics appointment document.

In any case, I got that email from them last Monday (1/5) saying they were sending a new card. We still haven't received it (they're in CA, we're in UT...shouldn't take that long to arrive, normally). So I checked the online case status site...and it says:

"On January 7, 2009, we mailed the new card directly to the address we have on file. You should receive your new card within 30 days. If you do not, or if you move before you get it, call customer service."

So, it got mailed last Wednesday and still isn't here yet. And what's up with the "it should be there within 30 days"? How'd they choose that number in particular? Nothing being mailed from/to a U.S. address should take anywhere near that long...guess they're giving the P.O. a break in case it's misdirected, lost, etc.

Well, if it doesn't arrive today, I'm not waiting 30 days but am calling them again tomorrow, because my husband's leaving for an extending trip to Turkey in 1 week, and I'd really like him to have the card before he leaves so I don't have to send it via expensive DHL to him over there (because his extension letter will expire before he'll be returning, so he'll need the card to come back).

The saga continues........

[Kathryn41 3,205]

If you don't get the card, make an INFOPASS appointment and have him get the I-551 stamp in his passport before he goes to Turkey. You don't want to send something so sensitive as a green card to him out of the country. What will he do if it doesn't arrive and goes missing? With proof of his travel arrangements and the failure of the card to arrive he should be able to get the stamp in his passport which will ensure he will be allowed back into the country.