Stolen I-751 Receipt Notice While Abroad

[seb-liz 38]

Hi all, currently traveling in Dublin and unfortunately had some personal belongings, including my original I-751 NOA/receipt notice stolen. 
 

I still have my expired green card and passport. Question is will a printed copy (perhaps on nice thick paper stock) of the receipt notice be sufficient for returning to the US? I know filing the I-131is another option, but the $575 price tag is quite steep. 

[seb-liz 38]

5 minutes ago, seb-liz said:

Hi all, currently traveling in Dublin and unfortunately had some personal belongings, including my original I-751 NOA/receipt notice stolen. 
 

I still have my expired green card and passport. Question is will a printed copy (perhaps on nice thick paper stock) of the receipt notice be sufficient for returning to the US? I know filing the I-131a is another option, but the $575 price tag is quite steep. 

 

[Wuozopo 4,293]

14 minutes ago, seb-liz said:

(perhaps on nice thick paper stock) 

????
What does the paper have to do with it? A copy is a copy.

I think you can talk you way through this easily.  

[mniceguy16 186]

19 minutes ago, seb-liz said:

Hi all, currently traveling in Dublin and unfortunately had some personal belongings, including my original I-751 NOA/receipt notice stolen. 
 

I still have my expired green card and passport. Question is will a printed copy (perhaps on nice thick paper stock) of the receipt notice be sufficient for returning to the US? I know filing the I-131is another option, but the $575 price tag is quite steep. 

Sorry about what happened to you, a copy may be ok because I know of someone who is using a lawyer, his original green extension paper went to his lawyer, he got a copy on a white piece of paper (which was slightly thicker than a regular A4 paper), he travelled out of the US and came back with no problem just with the white piece of paper which looked exactly like a photocopy. Just make sure the bar code is clear because it looks like they scan it.

[Timona 4,207]

Just print the one from your online account on a normal photo paper.

Printing on gold, platinum or tissue paper is not the important factor. What is important is what is on it, which CBP can also easily get by imputing your A -number on the system.

Do not overthink or make a mountain out of an anthill or waste money on a new I-131. First of all, that new I-131 will be rejected and your money not refunded.

[Mike E 11,739]

4 hours ago, seb-liz said:

Hi all, currently traveling in Dublin and unfortunately had some personal belongings, including my original I-751 NOA/receipt notice stolen

 

1. Is  it a nonstop flight from Dublin to the USA? 

2. Are you a UK citizen?

 

 

Edited December 31, 2022 by Mike E

[seb-liz 38]

48 minutes ago, Mike E said:

 

1. Is  it a nonstop flight from Dublin to the USA? 

2. Are you a UK citizen?

 

 

Yes and yes. Hopefully those play to my advantage? I know they do US border security on this side of the flight

[Mike E 11,739]

29 minutes ago, seb-liz said:

Yes and yes. Hopefully those play to my advantage? I know they do US border security on this side of the flight

Actually if I were in your situation in would prefer to not be using CBP pre-clearance. 
 

Your first challenge is getting past airline check in to reach CBP pre-clearance. 
 

Your second challenge is getting CBP to accept anything but an original extension letter. 
 

CBP’s policy is clearly written. A non original extension letter is not acceptable for boarding a flight. 
 

So you can try it but I am skeptical it will work. Unlike the rest of the crowd, I agree with you about printing your copy of extension letter on thick green tinged paper as that might help you get past airline check in Dublin.  But then you are at the mercy of CBP who can deny boarding. Do not represent your extension letter to CBP as an original document. Make it clear to CBP  it is a copy. Since it will be A4 and not U.S. letter size it should be obvious to CBP it is a copy.  
 

The alternative is to use your visa waiver to fly to Canada or Mexico and then enter the USA on foot.  You might have to pay the I-193 fee.  
 

How long have you been outside the U.S.?

 

Edited December 31, 2022 by Mike E

[OldUser 6,635]

Nobody mentioned getting a police report for stolen I-797. I would do that too. 

[mindthegap 2,590]

Try it, but preferably not at pre-clearance in DUB who know their stuff. 

Rely on airline staff checking immigration documentation being clueless, and then you will get admitted at secondary at immigration in the US when they run your details to verify your status after you clearly tell them it is a copy as the original was stolen. Get a police report to verify this. 

Expect some grumbling but you will be stamped in as normal after they verify. 

 

Worst case, you have to get a boarding foil (you need an 1-131A not an I-131 - and the price is as you correctly state, $575 with no biometric fee) but try it first without that hassle. There is also the option of a land border. 

 

Get to an infopass for an I-551 stamp after you get back stateside. 

 

11 hours ago, Wuozopo said:

What does the paper have to do with it? A copy is a copy. 

Because it is watermarked. Officially you require the original watermarked copy to be presented with the expired card for boarding a flight back to the US. 

Edited December 31, 2022 by mindthegap

[RamonGomez 271]

11 hours ago, Wuozopo said:

????
What does the paper have to do with it? A copy is a copy.

I think you can talk you way through this easily.  

The idea is that printing it on thick paper would be less likely to tip off an airline employee that it's a copy vs printing it on flimsy paper with a crappy inkjet printer...

[cbro20 53]

12 hours ago, Mike E said:

Actually if I were in your situation in would prefer to not be using CBP pre-clearance. 
 

Your first challenge is getting past airline check in to reach CBP pre-clearance. 
 

Your second challenge is getting CBP to accept anything but an original extension letter. 
 

CBP’s policy is clearly written. A non original extension letter is not acceptable for boarding a flight. 
 

So you can try it but I am skeptical it will work. Unlike the rest of the crowd, I agree with you about printing your copy of extension letter on thick green tinged paper as that might help you get past airline check in Dublin.  But then you are at the mercy of CBP who can deny boarding. Do not represent your extension letter to CBP as an original document. Make it clear to CBP  it is a copy. Since it will be A4 and not U.S. letter size it should be obvious to CBP it is a copy.  
 

The alternative is to use your visa waiver to fly to Canada or Mexico and then enter the USA on foot.  You might have to pay the I-193 fee.  
 

How long have you been outside the U.S.?

 

Why do people on this forum keep telling people to walk into the US from Canada or Mexico on foot? I’ve seen it mentioned a few times and don’t get it at all. What am I missing?

[Mike E 11,739]

40 minutes ago, cbro20 said:

Why do people on this forum keep telling people to walk into the US from Canada or Mexico on foot? I’ve seen it mentioned a few times and don’t get it at all. What am I missing?

You are missing that  a port of entry on the land border is actually inside the USA and legally LPRs cannot be removed the USA until a judge orders it.  
 

It works and CBP even tells you it works. 
 

See https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/769286-lost-green-card-while-in-canada-i-90-form-questions-merged-threads/?tab=comments#comment-10532481

 

This why CBP wants all airports of entry to be pre-clearance. So that undesirable citizens, LPRs, and other non citizens can be kept out of the U.S. 

 

Once anyone is on U.S. soil, removal is hard.  

 

 

 

Edited December 31, 2022 by Mike E

[cbro20 53]

14 minutes ago, Mike E said:

You are missing that  a port of entry on the land border is actually inside the USA and legally LPRs cannot be removed the USA until a judge orders it.  
 

It works and CBP even tells you it works. 
 

See https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/769286-lost-green-card-while-in-canada-i-90-form-questions-merged-threads/?tab=comments#comment-10532481

 

This why CBP wants all airports of entry to be pre-clearance. So that undesirable citizens, LPRs, and other non citizens can be kept out of the U.S. 

 

Once anyone is on U.S. soil, removal is hard.  

 

 

 

So an LPR who loses their green card abroad can simply walk up to, or drive across, the border at Canada or Mexico and gain admission? 

[Mike E 11,739]

22 minutes ago, cbro20 said:

So an LPR who loses their green card abroad can simply walk up to, or drive across, the border at Canada or Mexico and gain admission? 

They should file I-90 before doing so and yes.  As I’ve linked.