What to do with Green Cards after citizenship....

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

I asked this question before in another forum on VJ, but I was wondering if anyone here knows the answer to this too, especially if you've experienced this first hand:

What exactly does the USCIS require a person do with the 2 year conditional green card and the extension letter after it's expired? Do I have to give it back to them, during citizenship? Or can I keep it for as long as I want to forever as momento/souvenir of my immigration journey? Do I have to give back my 10 year unconditional green card too during citizenship? If they do take these green cards away, do they take it during the interview, or during the oath ceremony, or before that? I would like to know beforehand, as I would like to make copies of them before they take them away, just in case....

Any information and thoughts and ideas appreciated. Thanks.

Ant

[moonhunt 1]

Hi Everyone,

I asked this question before in another forum on VJ, but I was wondering if anyone here knows the answer to this too, especially if you've experienced this first hand:

What exactly does the USCIS require a person do with the 2 year conditional green card and the extension letter after it's expired? Do I have to give it back to them, during citizenship? Or can I keep it for as long as I want to forever as momento/souvenir of my immigration journey? Do I have to give back my 10 year unconditional green card too during citizenship? If they do take these green cards away, do they take it during the interview, or during the oath ceremony, or before that? I would like to know beforehand, as I would like to make copies of them before they take them away, just in case....

Any information and thoughts and ideas appreciated. Thanks.

Ant

One of things they do prior to oath ceremony is that they will collect your green card and oath letter.

So you have to surrender your current green card and oath letter in order to proceed oath ceremony.

[Staashi 371]

You will be able to keep your conditional green card as it will be expired by the time you take the oath. At least that is what happened in our case.

[Dakine 26]

I had to turn in my daughters 2 year GC before the passport agency would give her her US passport. Her GC wasn't expired yet.

Edited August 17, 2008 by Haole

[NickD 203]

I had to turn in my daughters 2 year GC before the passport agency would give her her US passport. Her GC wasn't expired yet.

Wonder what happens if your ten year card was lost, stolen, or you haven't received it yet?

No certificate of citizenship? Have to apply for a new card, wait a year for it to come in, and reschedule your oath appointment? Or can you just give them 400 bucks and get your certificate?

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all your helpful replies as to what happens to the Green Cards after US Citizenship. Listed below are my replies to your individial responses in this message topic:

Moonhunt: Ahh...now I know that they do in fact take the green card and the oath letter away during the oath ceremony. Lol..I guess I have to make a copy of both then, for souvenir's sake, before I go. I wonder why they take the oath letter too, as it's not like it's going to be any use to anyone later on? When you say current green card, I'm assuming you mean at the time it would be the 10yr green card. What did you do with your 2yr green card then? Or did you give them that card too?

Staashi: That's good to know that I'd be able to keep the 2yr green card when I take the oath. After all, why would they want an expired useless green card back? Did you keep your 2yr green card or throw it away? Did they take your 10yr green card away instead too?

Haole: Interesting situation you had there, where you had turn in your daughter's green card so that they could give her a passport. They probably figured that since she's a US citizen already, that she doesn't need her green card anymore, even though it's not expired. And yes, it's better to have US citizenship and a US passport than a valid premanent resident green card.

NickD: Those are good questions to ask, and I wonder too, what happens if one doesn't have their 10yr green card at the time of the oath. Does anyone else have the answer to those questions, especially for NickD's sake? If I were in that situation, on that day I would probably give them what you have already (after all, you can't give them what you don't have), even if it is expired already, and hope that they do the oath on the day scheduled. After all, one did pay big bucks for citizenship, and have a right to do so, as they've already met the requirements for it. It's the potential citizen's fault that there's been a delay in the paperwork from the government. If this is the case for you, I hope you do get your 10yr green card in time for the oath, or if not, that they don't give you any problems with what you already have when you do your oath.

Good luck to everyone on their immigration journeys.

Ant (Tomorrow=I-751 Submission Day, Off to make colour photocopies of the green card, just in case...)

Edited August 17, 2008 by AntandD

[moonhunt 1]

Moonhunt: Ahh...now I know that they do in fact take the green card and the oath letter away during the oath ceremony. Lol..I guess I have to make a copy of both then, for souvenir's sake, before I go. I wonder why they take the oath letter too, as it's not like it's going to be any use to anyone later on? When you say current green card, I'm assuming you mean at the time it would be the 10yr green card. What did you do with your 2yr green card then? Or did you give them that card too?

That's why I didn't mention expired 2 year conditional card.

I had never received 2 year conditional card, so I'm not sure.

But if USCIS people didn't figure out that you have expired 2 year conditional green card, you may keep it as souvenir.

The reason why they take green card, and oath letter is simple.

First, for green card part, you don't need it any more. So they take it back. Plus if you guys don't dispose well, it may be used by somebody else. For an example, illegal aliens, identity thefts, etc...

So they better take it back, and dispose it properly.

Second, for Oath letter, in the back of oath letter, I believe you have to answer the questions, and sign the form.

So USCIS needs to keep it as record. Simple! Right?

As a souvenir, they are giving "The Certificate of Naturalization", and a "flag".

So it should be enough. And you have a lot of documents and I-797C Notice of Action from USCIS.

So I think that's fair enought.

[antda 13]

Hi Moonhunt,

Thanks for you reply as to what to do with the green card after citizenship. My guess as to why you didn’t receive your 2yr conditional card was because you were already married for 2yrs+ when you got your green card, and hence wasn’t issued a conditional green card? Either way, it doesn’t matter for you now. If the USCIS doesn’t want my expired 2yr green card during citizenship, then yes, I’ll keep it as a souvenir then. And if they want it back, that’s ok too, as it’s expired anyways. I do know though, that they want the 10yr green card back, so I’ll have to give that back to them regardless, and I don’t mind that either. It makes sense that they would want that 10yr green card back, so as you said, that they can dispose of it properly, for safety and identity purposes. Oh well, I’ll just make a copy of these cards for souvenir’s sake (and no, I won’t give it to anyone else, as I think forgery/identity theft is wrong), in case they do take either of these cards away.

As for the oath letter, I guess I’ll have to make a photocopy of that too. I didn’t know before that they kept it, so thanks for telling me about that. What exactly does it say on the letter? Is it just the time, date, and particulars of the ceremony? You mentioned about too answering the questions on the back of the oath letter. What exactly are those questions? Are they the oath itself, as in “I pledge allegiance to the country, etc…”? That’s ok if I have to give it back to them and sign it in order to get citizenship. Yes, a simple record, the USCIS has. Sign it and give it back, and in exchange get citizenship. A good deal there, I think.

And yes, I’ll definitely keep (in a safe place) the “Certificate of Naturalization” and “flag” that I’ll get during the citizenship ceremony/oath. Lol…more souvenirs to add to my every-growing pile of documents/letter/and other information over the many years from the USCIS.

I’m definitely looking forward to citizenship next year (or a bit after that, seeing how slow they are taking nowadays). Meanwhile, I’ll still be stuck at the I-751 stage waiting for awhile.

Congratulations on soon becoming a US Citizen, Moonhunt. Enjoy the ceremony and the celebration!

Ant (Still stuck at I-751 in hopes of US Citizenship soon next year…)

That's why I didn't mention expired 2 year conditional card.

I had never received 2 year conditional card, so I'm not sure.

But if USCIS people didn't figure out that you have expired 2 year conditional green card, you may keep it as souvenir.

The reason why they take green card, and oath letter is simple.

First, for green card part, you don't need it any more. So they take it back. Plus if you guys don't dispose well, it may be used by somebody else. For an example, illegal aliens, identity thefts, etc...

So they better take it back, and dispose it properly.

Second, for Oath letter, in the back of oath letter, I believe you have to answer the questions, and sign the form.

So USCIS needs to keep it as record. Simple! Right?

As a souvenir, they are giving "The Certificate of Naturalization", and a "flag".

So it should be enough. And you have a lot of documents and I-797C Notice of Action from USCIS.

So I think that's fair enought.

[TBoneTX 45,910]

A recent post (with replies) was split from this thread and moved to the Working & Traveling forum.

This thread from 2008 is now closed to further comment.

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