Lost Passport-Please Help...

[sense1 0]

Hello,

My wife is notorious for losing things. Usually, it is just a brush or sunglasses (she has been through a dozen in a year's time). However, this time she lost her purse which was loaded with all the important stuff. She lost her Russian international passport (the one with the visa pages and entry stamps into the US), SSN cards for her and her 12 year old son, work card EAD, and some other items. The single passport had all the info in it for her and her son. I reported this to the police already. I've tried calling Washington DC and they keep telling me to read the website. Even after reading the website I can't seem to figure out what to do next to start getting new documents for her. She and her son have not had there interview yet to temporarily adjust to status here in the US (I-485 interview). Please let me know what papers to send, where to send them, and the cost involved to get a replacement passport for her and her son. The visa pages expired about 6 months ago so I don't know if these need to be purchased again for the replacement passport. Thank you for any info...

[slim 1,525]

OK.... first of all - she can get re-issued any "US" documents through SSA office and/or USCIS. You'll basically have to retrace your steps and go through all the processes you've already gone through. And, maybe on that note, step one may be to go to your local BMV to get re-issued an ID card if she had one. If not, report straight to SSA, do not pass GO, do not collect $200.

As for the Russian stuff......... good luck. It's all going to be up to whatever process you can make with the embassy. I have absolutely NO idea what to do here other than to not worry about it all that much. USCIS already has a copy of her passport so she should be good there. She doesn't "need" her international passport for anything in the U.S. and if you haven't done AOS yet, then she won't need it for a while anyway.

Visas? Which visas? If you're talking the U.S. visa and I-94 stuff, like above, don't worry about it, you'll have to get copies made. If it's something like a Schengen visa or another country, well, you don't have to worry about that for a while because she can't leave for while anyway.

Bottom line is right now, she has NO ID. You have to get her some ID. Start with U.S. channels and then go from there.

[baron555 934]

OK.... first of all - she can get re-issued any "US" documents through SSA office and/or USCIS. You'll basically have to retrace your steps and go through all the processes you've already gone through. And, maybe on that note, step one may be to go to your local BMV to get re-issued an ID card if she had one. If not, report straight to SSA, do not pass GO, do not collect $200.

As for the Russian stuff......... good luck. It's all going to be up to whatever process you can make with the embassy. I have absolutely NO idea what to do here other than to not worry about it all that much. USCIS already has a copy of her passport so she should be good there. She doesn't "need" her international passport for anything in the U.S. and if you haven't done AOS yet, then she won't need it for a while anyway.

Visas? Which visas? If you're talking the U.S. visa and I-94 stuff, like above, don't worry about it, you'll have to get copies made. If it's something like a Schengen visa or another country, well, you don't have to worry about that for a while because she can't leave for while anyway.

Bottom line is right now, she has NO ID. You have to get her some ID. Start with U.S. channels and then go from there.

Get a copying machine and as soon as she obtains any document, grab it from her and make a copy.

[mox 298]

As an interim measure, you should at least have copies of the first page of her passport and her I-94, right? You would have made copies of those when you submitted your AOS packet, so hopefully you scanned them and have a copy laying around your computer.

If she didn't have a drivers license or state ID card, then her primary identification is still her passport. I'd start there by having her contact the closest Russian consulate. Then the SSA to get her a new SS card, then USCIS to get a reissued I-94 (or at least guidance if they won't reissue).

Sorry to hear about this, let us know what all you wound up having to do when you get everything back in order. Best of luck to you, and although the circumstances suck, it's nice to see you around again.

[sense1 0]

As an interim measure, you should at least have copies of the first page of her passport and her I-94, right? You would have made copies of those when you submitted your AOS packet, so hopefully you scanned them and have a copy laying around your computer.

If she didn't have a drivers license or state ID card, then her primary identification is still her passport. I'd start there by having her contact the closest Russian consulate. Then the SSA to get her a new SS card, then USCIS to get a reissued I-94 (or at least guidance if they won't reissue).

Sorry to hear about this, let us know what all you wound up having to do when you get everything back in order. Best of luck to you, and although the circumstances suck, it's nice to see you around again.

Thanks for all your advice. I figured out today that the passport is the first thing that needs to be replaced after being unsuccessful at getting any other docs. My wife is going to ask a friend of hers that is still in Ufa to try and get a new/replacement passport for her (I don't know if this is even possible). She is determined to try and find a shortcut and also not wanting to wait 4 months for Washington DC to issue another. I'll keep you all posted of the progress...

[Thomas-n-Elena 0]

What is the hurry! I would contact the Russian embassy in DC and get them working on replacing the passport, you have time before you need it. You can get replacement SS card etc in the US thats not a big deal. Just relax take a deep breath. The good thing is she didnt lose them while she was somewhere she couldnt get out of. The second good thing is that you dont have to worry about her identification being stolen and used to bring people in from south of the border, even homeland security people in Port Huron wont believe that a hispanic looking person is walking around with Russian paperwork.

[1HappyGuy 45]

We have a friend whose purse was stolen with her passport inside. After many phone calls and considerable worry, she was able to go to the Russian consulate in San Francisco to obtain a replacement. It was still about 3 months of time before she got her new passport from theft to delivery. This is not an unusual situation and the Russian embassy in D.C. should be able to assist.