Do I need physical GC in applying for N-400: 10yr GC never received

[Dukester 2]

Hello everybody!I will be applying for my citizenship in a few weeks but the problem is I dont have a copy of my 10yr GC.I never received my card. USCIS said they sent it but I never got a hold of it.USPS wont admit that they lost it and was not able to trace where it went even with a tracking number provided by USCIS. After talking to USCIS I was told that I need to pay $300+ for a replacement.They will not waive the fee so I decided not to get one since its so expensive and it was not my fault that it was not delivered.I know that its useless arguing with those a**holes....

Now my question is it compulsory to send a copy of the GC with my packet? What do I need to do since what I have right now is only the extension letter? Do I need to file for I-90 just to show a receipt.

Help will be very much appreciated....

[aleful 1,905]

Hello everybody!I will be applying for my citizenship in a few weeks but the problem is I dont have a copy of my 10yr GC.I never received my card. USCIS said they sent it but I never got a hold of it.USPS wont admit that they lost it and was not able to trace where it went even with a tracking number provided by USCIS. After talking to USCIS I was told that I need to pay $300+ for a replacement.They will not waive the fee so I decided not to get one since its so expensive and it was not my fault that it was not delivered.I know that its useless arguing with those a**holes....

Now my question is it compulsory to send a copy of the GC with my packet? What do I need to do since what I have right now is only the extension letter? Do I need to file for I-90 just to show a receipt.

Help will be very much appreciated....

yes, you need to send a copy of the front and back of your GC with the N400. you need to prove that you are a LPR and qualify for citizenship.

you will need to get the GC before applying for citizenship, not a copy of the i90.

[milimelo 4,572]

Hello everybody!I will be applying for my citizenship in a few weeks but the problem is I dont have a copy of my 10yr GC.I never received my card. USCIS said they sent it but I never got a hold of it.USPS wont admit that they lost it and was not able to trace where it went even with a tracking number provided by USCIS. After talking to USCIS I was told that I need to pay $300+ for a replacement.They will not waive the fee so I decided not to get one since its so expensive and it was not my fault that it was not delivered.I know that its useless arguing with those a**holes....

Now my question is it compulsory to send a copy of the GC with my packet? What do I need to do since what I have right now is only the extension letter? Do I need to file for I-90 just to show a receipt.

Help will be very much appreciated....

Search the forum to see how to get your green card without paying another fee (due to non-delivery).

Also, if you received the approval letter, you can always send the copy of 2-yr card, NOA1 for I-751 and a copy of approval letter and see if that flies with USCIS.

[Dukester 2]

Thanks aleful and milimelo for the fast replies. Yes I do have an approval letter and screenshot copy of the USPS tracking page that my GC was never delivered.I tried to search for similar cases on the forums but cant seem to find one.I think I need to look more.Is it okay to send a copy of the I-551 stamp on my passport will that do?Sorry I forgot to mention that I went for an infopass and have a stamp...

Edited April 23, 2011 by yuki21

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Yes, send the I-551 stamp copy - that is proof of your PR status. The physical green card is actually an I-551 card. Write an explanation in your cover letter and include the documentation you have to support your position that it was never received. Having the passport stamp certainly lends a good deal of credibility to your circumstances. You will need to bring your passport to the interview as well.

[Dukester 2]

Yes, send the I-551 stamp copy - that is proof of your PR status. The physical green card is actually an I-551 card. Write an explanation in your cover letter and include the documentation you have to support your position that it was never received. Having the passport stamp certainly lends a good deal of credibility to your circumstances. You will need to bring your passport to the interview as well.

Thanks a lot Kathryn I will definitely do that.

[Sand 5]

Yes, send the I-551 stamp copy - that is proof of your PR status. The physical green card is actually an I-551 card. Write an explanation in your cover letter and include the documentation you have to support your position that it was never received. Having the passport stamp certainly lends a good deal of credibility to your circumstances. You will need to bring your passport to the interview as well.

[jkelly07 120]

if your applying for your citizenship n-400 in two weeks, then HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN,you should have gotten your pernanent resident card a year ago, why did you wait so long to say it never arrived.now the uscis won't belive you, if you have a copy of your green card front and back send a copy with your file, but when your go for your test and oath they ask for your permanent resident card.if you want a new card form 1-90 350.00 dollars, good luck

[Dukester 2]

if your applying for your citizenship n-400 in two weeks, then HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN,you should have gotten your pernanent resident card a year ago, why did you wait so long to say it never arrived.now the uscis won't belive you, if you have a copy of your green card front and back send a copy with your file, but when your go for your test and oath they ask for your permanent resident card.if you want a new card form 1-90 350.00 dollars, good luck

I did not wait too long to report it. Two weeks after my approval I called USCIS and asked them what was wrong and how come I haven't received the card yet.They gave me a USPS tracking # so I can check the status online.It never came and I still have the screenshot of the tracking page saying that it was never delivered.USCIS then told me that if I file for a replacement they will not waiver the fee because USPS won't admit that it was their mistake.I then went for an info pass to have my passport stamped.I won't pay $300 plus for a replacement because it was not my fault.The consumer affairs department from USPS here in California and Kentucky even got involved in my case.3 investigations later they still didn't know where it went so don't assume that I did not do anything. IMO USCIS should've went after USPS because they were the sender.

Please know the situation first .I was talking about a situation that occurred a year ago and not just recently.

Edited April 23, 2011 by yuki21

[Dukester 2]

Also USCIS told me that they documented my calls to them when I reported the non delivery of my GC. I was just asking for some help and opinions for people who experienced filing without the physical GC...thanks to all the good advice!

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Interesting scenario - it sounds like you have everything well documented. It will be good to hear from you how this all pans out. It's not as if YOU were careless, kudos to you for taking on USCIS and getting them to investigate.

[NickD 203]

Was happy to see my stepdaughters' US certificate in the mail a couple of days ago in a brown envelop with an 88 cent stamp on it. How would one track that? With both conditional and ten year cards, still have the envelops, that also came in first class mail. Everything we got from the USCIS came in first class mail. No such thing that I am aware of where we could send in a couple of extra bucks and have it sent overnight with tracking.

I have to be careful, within a week, can fill up a large shopping bag with junk mail. Practically all the junk mail I receive looks far more official than anything from the DOS or the USCIS. So you got me wondering how you got tracking information on your ten year card. Nothing we ever received or about to receive from the USCIS had any form of tracking information.

When our ten year cards never came in, called my senators office, apparently folks at the USCIS will lie to me, but not to my senator. I suggest you do the same.

Would delight me to deport the entire USCIS for fraud rather than the other way around.

[Jupiter07 12]

Was happy to see my stepdaughters' US certificate in the mail a couple of days ago in a brown envelop with an 88 cent stamp on it. How would one track that? With both conditional and ten year cards, still have the envelops, that also came in first class mail. Everything we got from the USCIS came in first class mail. No such thing that I am aware of where we could send in a couple of extra bucks and have it sent overnight with tracking.

I got my 10yr GC this month. It is nothing close to junk. It stood out of my mail. It is a white big first-class envelope that is trackable, FYI. Times have changed!

Edited April 23, 2011 by Jupiter07

[Jupiter07 12]

Was happy to see my stepdaughters' US certificate in the mail a couple of days ago in a brown envelop with an 88 cent stamp on it. How would one track that? With both conditional and ten year cards, still have the envelops, that also came in first class mail. Everything we got from the USCIS came in first class mail. No such thing that I am aware of where we could send in a couple of extra bucks and have it sent overnight with tracking.

I got my 10yr GC this month. It is nothing close to junk. It stood out of my mail. It is a white USPS bigger than a regular envelop. The ones you get at USPS when you want to send something in a non-regular manner, now sure they are called "first class". They are usually white with USPS written on it in blue with some red. The sender can tag tracking on it, in this case USCIS. Thus if you call them they can give you a tracking no. Times have changed!

[Dukester 2]

Interesting scenario - it sounds like you have everything well documented. It will be good to hear from you how this all pans out. It's not as if YOU were careless, kudos to you for taking on USCIS and getting them to investigate.

Oh believe me this is so stressful me and the hubby were on the phone constantly bugging all those involved.I was so pissed at USPS that I told them that they are rude and seemed to be mad that I was complaining.They say priority mails are being flown in so I told them it made me wonder all the more if it even made the truck route.Told the rude lady at that time that it would've been here by now unless theyre driving in freaking reverse.Thanks!