please help i gave biometrics for naturalization and my green card was stolen yesterday night at a social function

[doc_cute 0]

hi friends,

please help me!!

i am really stressed out i gave my naturalisation biometrics on july 7th but yesterday my green card is stolen ( along with other documents credit cards which i was able to lock them)

what should i do now? since after the naturalisation they ask for green card? do i have to fill the I-90 to replace it or can i complete my citizenship process without the green card

please help

thank you in advance

[Lansbury 19]

Knowing someone in a similar situation, they had to replace their green card.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

First, make sure you report the theft/loss to the police and get a copy of the police report. You will need to notify USCIS of its loss regardless of what else you do. As you haven't had your interview yet you may wish to make an infopass appointment and meet with an immigration officer to explain what happened, show them the police report and ask them if you need to apply for a new green card as it is likely you will have your citizenship interview and probably oath ceremony before the new green card would even be processed. If they require you to get one, then you would need to file the I-90 for a replacement and you would bring the I-190 copy plus the police report to the interview/oath cerremony. If they will accept the police report they may make some concessions as you as so close to the interview and not require you to file the I-90. USCIS would be the best ones to ask - and don't go by any advice you might get at the 1-800 Help line - it isn't called the Misinformation Line for nothing.

Good luck.

[sasaqlain 24]

I concur with Kathryn41! Sorry about your loss though.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

To the O.P.

That sucks. Did they also steal your passport?

To all others:

When I suggest to keep the Green Card at a safe place, that means away from your driver license and your credit card(s).

Away from your driver license because the driver license and your Green Card are most likely your two sole forms of US ID. You do not want to lose both at the same time.

Away from your credit card(s) because that's what thieves want.

I don't know if the thief stole the O.P.'s wallet, but the GC does not belong in the wallet but should be kept separately in a safe place. A save place is where it doesn't get stolen. If it got stolen, it wasn't in a safe place.

[doc_cute 0]

To the O.P.

That sucks. Did they also steal your passport?

To all others:

When I suggest to keep the Green Card at a safe place, that means away from your driver license and your credit card(s).

Away from your driver license because the driver license and your Green Card are most likely your two sole forms of US ID. You do not want to lose both at the same time.

Away from your credit card(s) because that's what thieves want.

I don't know if the thief stole the O.P.'s wallet, but the GC does not belong in the wallet but should be kept separately in a safe place. A save place is where it doesn't get stolen. If it got stolen, it wasn't in a safe place.

thank ya'all for the replies

The passport wasnt in my purse its with me at home. i never carry green card with me, the only reason is since i got a new job and they wanted to check my green card

, that was the only reason but i can not believe i can be so lazy to not transfer it back to my home and keep it in my handbag,

i made a police complaint and he said it should be available in next 7-10 working days

it will be devastating for me to reapply for another green card when the process was almost over, i cannot forgive myself for being so lazy to keep my permanent resident card in my handbag

[NickD 202]

thank ya'all for the replies

The passport wasnt in my purse its with me at home. i never carry green card with me, the only reason is since i got a new job and they wanted to check my green card

, that was the only reason but i can not believe i can be so lazy to not transfer it back to my home and keep it in my handbag,

i made a police complaint and he said it should be available in next 7-10 working days

it will be devastating for me to reapply for another green card when the process was almost over, i cannot forgive myself for being so lazy to keep my permanent resident card in my handbag

Your are not legal here without your green card, would definitely make an infopass appointment and either bring in two passport photos for an I-94 or a valid foreign passport for an I-751 stamp, along with the police report. And also inform about your oncoming N-400 interview. And also good to bring in a copy of your green card as well, plus carry a copy of it.

A woman carrying a purse is more of a style thing than anything else, but certainly not a practical one. Was always concerned about my wife's purse, really never looked in there, but think she also has a couple of concrete blocks in there.

[milimelo 4,410]

From what I read, all you need to show is the police report that your GC was stolen - no need to replace a GC (unless you really want to make a donation to USCIS).

[milimelo 4,410]

(4) Delivering Certificates When the Permanent Resident Card Is Lost .

No Certificate of Naturalization will be delivered in any case in which the naturalized person has not surrendered his or her Permanent Resident Card to USCIS. Upon a finding that the card is destroyed or otherwise unavailable, the District Director may waive the surrender of the card and the Certificate of Naturalization must then be delivered to the naturalized person.

From: http://www.uscis.gov/ilink/docView/AFM/HTML/AFM/0-0-0-1/0-0-0-25660/0-0-0-25772.html#0-0-0-755

[antoneya 9]

General advice to all,

It is always a good idea to make a photo copy of your green card and keep that in your wallet and keep the real one at home is a safe place.

[v333k 59]

what Kathryn41 and milimelo said sums it all.

Did you also notify USCIS? You have to make sure they are aware of it...

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

Just for the record: a lost or expired Green Card does not have any influence on the residency itself. I know a girl whose GC expired 5+ years ago and a guy who tried to find his for 2 years now. The both are, and will still be, lawful permanent residents for life. Eventually they will have to file for a new card, but that's how far the cookie crumbles.

[antda 13]

(I posted this before on VJ, but thought it would help here too...)

Hi doc_cute,

Sorry to hear that you lost your 10yr green card and other important documents. Not your fault at all, as crime happens, regardless. I do hope you find all those documents soon and/or get replacements for such. If I were you, in my opinion, I think you should do the following

1) File a police report. That way, if it gets found, it can be returned to you. This prevents fraud from other people using such documents illegally.

2) Notify other agencies (such as credit card companies, the USCIS, etc.) that your documents have been stolen. This prevents fraud from other people using such documents illegally.

3) Schedule an Infopass appointment with the USCIS to explain your situation. If you have made copies of your green card beforehand, bring that with you too, as well as any police reports that you have filed, to prove your documents were stolen.

4) If you still have your foreign passport (I hope that didn't put that in your wallet), ask for a I-551 stamp in your passport, during your infopass appointment. The I-551 stamp proves your green card status and residency, and is usually valid for up to a year (or however long the immigration officials choose it to be). This should be sufficient enough for you to prove status during your interview and for your oath.

5) Personally, I wouldn't file for another I-90 for a new green card, since your interview date is so close. It would be a waste of your money and time to do such, when you have to give up that green card soon anyways, and you might not get it in time for your interview anyways. So just explain to them that it would be unreasonable for you to get such, in lieu of the circumstances of being in the midst of the N-400 and having your wallet stolen. Hopefully they should be understanding there. Besides, they already have a copy of your green card, when you filed the N-400, so technically, they already have the green card, and can't say that you didn't give them a copy of such and demand for it again during the interview and oath, when it has been stolen.

6) In the future, seriously, consider making photocopies of important documents, and important documents that you don't need to use on a regular basis, keep in a safe place instead.

Hope this helps. Good luck on the rest of your journey and interview coming up and hope you find your documents soon too.

Ant

P.S. To the poster who said not to carry the green card...It's the law! "You must carry this card with you at all times!" (and don't lose it, or pay $300+ for a replacement)

P.P.S. As for the naturalization certificate...."Keep it in a safe place" (or risk losing it and paying $400+ for a replacement). Do not carry it with you! (And if you need proof of citizenship, apply for a passport, an/or carry a photocopy of it only with you).

hi friends,

please help me!!

i am really stressed out i gave my naturalisation biometrics on july 7th but yesterday my green card is stolen ( along with other documents credit cards which i was able to lock them)

what should i do now? since after the naturalisation they ask for green card? do i have to fill the I-90 to replace it or can i complete my citizenship process without the green card

please help

thank you in advance

[v333k 59]

Ant,

good advice.

One thing I would like to point out is that some States, like mine, AL, actually indicate on the driver's license if you are a citizen or not. Mine has red text stating "FN Driver License" which stands for foreigner's DL. My wife has black text stating "Driver License" which means citizen. If an officer looks at it, without needing to query their database, they can tell if I am a citizen or not.

Granted not all States follow this logic, but check and see if you are one of those states that freely and indirectly indicate on the DL your status.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

A bit off topic, but you can also apply for a passport card when you file for your passport. It is valid for land crossings at Canadian and Mexican POEs - but it is also valid evidence of US citizenship. It is the size of a credit card and can fit easily into your wallet. That is the reason I got mine - so I would have proof of US citizenship available if required.