Immigration documents to bring to oath ceremony

[faith620 0]

I have just realized that I no longer have my expired immigration documents: my two-year green card and EAD. I went through my stacks of immigration papers, but I can't seem to find them. I even have a sinking feeling in my stomach that they might have accidentally gotten shredded with some old credit cards and other documents that my husband and I were trying to get rid of during the move Can this create a problem at my oath ceremony? I will turn in my current green card, but what should I say if they ask me for other documents? Help!

[aleful 1,905]

I have just realized that I no longer have my expired immigration documents: my two-year green card and EAD. I went through my stacks of immigration papers, but I can't seem to find them. I even have a sinking feeling in my stomach that they might have accidentally gotten shredded with some old credit cards and other documents that my husband and I were trying to get rid of during the move Can this create a problem at my oath ceremony? I will turn in my current green card, but what should I say if they ask me for other documents? Help!

you don't need them for the oath, just the letter, the GC, take passport in case you traveled. You need other documents in case of change, such as travel, DUI, if you married after the interview, divorced after the interview. any changes after the interview.

[warlord 72]

If I remember correctly, the 2 year GC gets turned in when you pass the interview and they issue the 10 year card. I'm not 100% sure, but I thought that's what happened as I never had mine when I got to the N-400 stage either, all I had was the 10 year card...

[NickD 202]

Oath letter is certainly confusing when they said bring all of your immigration papers with you, so did toss the briefcase in the car, it stayed there just in case. Only thing they wanted from my wife was her oath letter, you can fill all that out in advance, but you sign and date it in front of your officer, then turn in your current green card.

More than likely, you will be in a long line, and they try to do this as quickly as possible. Wife commented that the woman in front of her didn't even know how to write and "S" for September, so the officer helped her with that and the spelling of that long word. She wondered how she passed her interview. I was put in a separate line, everyone was nice for a change, did let me bring in my digital camera, but already knew about leaving my cell in the car, but they did ask me if I had one.

[lawrencetoland 3]

Oath letter is certainly confusing when they said bring all of your immigration papers with you, so did toss the briefcase in the car, it stayed there just in case. Only thing they wanted from my wife was her oath letter, you can fill all that out in advance, but you sign and date it in front of your officer, then turn in your current green card.

More than likely, you will be in a long line, and they try to do this as quickly as possible. Wife commented that the woman in front of her didn't even know how to write and "S" for September, so the officer helped her with that and the spelling of that long word. She wondered how she passed her interview. I was put in a separate line, everyone was nice for a change, did let me bring in my digital camera, but already knew about leaving my cell in the car, but they did ask me if I had one.

My husband has dyslexia and he passed his interview just fine. Not everyone is perfect at spelling.

[Captain Oates 910]

My husband has dyslexia and he passed his interview just fine. Not everyone is perfect at spelling.

My son says his girlfriend called him an imberseal

[antda 13]

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

Hi faith620,

Likewise....I lost my expired 2yr card too...

It somehow it ended up in the trash....

And after we found out about it...It was too late....

It was on it's way to the town/county dump.....

This happened at about the time during the I-751 stage...Where my 2yr card had expired...

But I didn't get my 10yr card yet (stupid delays....)

So I had no green card at all for a few weeks....And I only had an NOA letter (which is useless without the card...)

So I went for an infopass appointment....And asked for a I-551 stamp...

It was funny when they said they wanted my expired 2yr card in switch/exchange for the stamp...

To which I had to say that I lost the card....

They wern't too happy about it...

But they gave me the I-551 stamp regardless (and didn't ask me to get a replacement)...

(lol...I was 8 pregnant at the time and needed to take final trip to Canada...guess they didn't want to mess with that..)

And complained as to how long they were taking for my 10yr card...

And about a week later..I got my 10yr green card 5 months green card in the mail...Go figure.....

Then when it came time for citizenship...

I just told them again that I lost the 2yr card and that I don't have it anymore....

And said (or thought about saying)..."I can't give you something that I don't currently have..." .....

And they had to accept that they way it was...

And as required, before the oath ceremony, I very reluctantly gave them back the 10yr card that I had....

And complained again as to how long they took for my 10yr card...

And complained that I only got to keep it/use it for 5 months.....

But they wouldn't let me keep it....Sigh......Oh well....

Oh well, all is forgiven I suppose.....I got a naturalization certificate instead....So be it....

No more green cards to worry about! Goodbye USCIS! Goodbye Green Cards!

(though I did take a photocopy of the green cards beforehand...for momento sake..so I still have those...)

As long as they had one valid 10yr green card to give them back..

They were happy with that..

So no worries about your lost 2yr green card...

As after all, "you can't give them what you don't have"....

As for any other immigration document that you do have...Yes..give that back to them..They want that...

And you still have time...So try searching for that 2yr green card again! You never know if you will find it somewhere where you least expect it....

Other than that...Keep your naturalization certificate in a safe place when you get it! Make a photocopy (one copy for 'personal use' is allowable, despite it saying it is illegal to copy...as told to me by an immigration officer) of it (just in case it gets lost/stolen/etc). Don't lose it! As that's another $450+ in costs and gosh knows how many weeks/months for a replacement.....

Hope this helps...Good luck with your situation and the rest of your journey too.

Ant

P.S. I never applied for an EAD, nor did I ever have one, as I felt that at the time I didn't need it....

Lol..Instead, I saved the money there and waited for the green card...

Nevertheless, they had no problems that I didn't have an EAD either....

I have just realized that I no longer have my expired immigration documents: my two-year green card and EAD. I went through my stacks of immigration papers, but I can't seem to find them. I even have a sinking feeling in my stomach that they might have accidentally gotten shredded with some old credit cards and other documents that my husband and I were trying to get rid of during the move Can this create a problem at my oath ceremony? I will turn in my current green card, but what should I say if they ask me for other documents? Help!

[antda 13]

If I remember correctly, the 2 year GC gets turned in when you pass the interview and they issue the 10 year card. I'm not 100% sure, but I thought that's what happened as I never had mine when I got to the N-400 stage either, all I had was the 10 year card...

Huh? What 10yr green card interview? I never had one of those for the I-751/10yr green card stage....

(though I wish I had one...as interview cases were approved faster....)

And actually it is quite rare for anyone to have interviews at the I-751 stage..(but that's another issue..)

The 10yr green card is sent in the mail..And that's pretty much it nowadays.....

And even then, one can still keep their 2yr green card, since it is expired anyways...

Anyways, the important thing is that the OP has their 10yr green card, as that's what needed for citizenship purposes, regardless...

Ant

Edited August 27, 2010 by Ant+D+BabyA

[faith620 0]

Took my oath yesterday. Everything went just fine - they just took my 10 yr green card and did not ask for anything else. I'm a US Citizen!!!

[~krakatoa~ 27]

Took my oath yesterday. Everything went just fine - they just took my 10 yr green card and did not ask for anything else. I'm a US Citizen!!!

Congratulations!

[OBX 51]

Took my oath yesterday. Everything went just fine - they just took my 10 yr green card and did not ask for anything else. I'm a US Citizen!!!

Congratulations!

[antda 13]

Took my oath yesterday. Everything went just fine - they just took my 10 yr green card and did not ask for anything else. I'm a US Citizen!!!

Faith620-Congratulations on being a US Citizen, and thanks for the update!

Glad everything went well for you, despite having your 2yr card and EAD....

Good luck with the rest of your journey as a US Citizen....

Ant

[warlord 72]

Huh? What 10yr green card interview? I never had one of those for the I-751/10yr green card stage....

(though I wish I had one...as interview cases were approved faster....)

And actually it is quite rare for anyone to have interviews at the I-751 stage..(but that's another issue..)

The 10yr green card is sent in the mail..And that's pretty much it nowadays.....

And even then, one can still keep their 2yr green card, since it is expired anyways...

Anyways, the important thing is that the OP has their 10yr green card, as that's what needed for citizenship purposes, regardless...

Ant

Oh yeah, looking back I guess there was only the one interview then to get the original Conditional GC. Then in that case I have no clue what happened to the old card then. I never had it after I got my 10 year one. Maybe I had to send it back in the mail or something. No idea...

[Captain Oates 910]

Oh yeah, looking back I guess there was only the one interview then to get the original Conditional GC. Then in that case I have no clue what happened to the old card then. I never had it after I got my 10 year one. Maybe I had to send it back in the mail or something. No idea...

I am glad someone else has a bad memnory - or a good memory actually as it would be awful to be able to remember all the bad stuff that happens in life.

When I got my 10 year green card I burned everything from my USCIS cases ! No way was I hauling that across the atlantic.

I have the main visas/GC etc imaged on my comp of course but all the copy applications - gone for ever.

I have zero paper files for my n400 except the 2 notices so far. The rest are pdf files so at least I can read em on my laptop in the hotel room the night before the interview.