Overseas- need to recreate lost IV Packet

[JR_CG 13]

My wife local filed and received her CR-1 visa in March 2024 at the Riyadh embassy. In August we finally were told that her green card hasn’t arrived because her Visa Packet was never received and it needs to be recreated. 
We still live in Riyadh until June 2025 with the military but the Riyadh Embassy will not help us recreate her visa packet. They say that she has to do that in the states but she can’t get to the states before her temporary I-551 expires. 
I called USCIS and they said to recreate the packet at the embassy but the embassy refuses and are rude. I have called my congresswoman each week for three weeks to ask them to intervene but they also just keep saying that they will get back to me. 
 

Now I am worried that her temp green card is going to expire before this problem gets resolved and I don’t know how to renew it since she technically doesn’t have an I-551. As overseas military we could have filed her N-400 by now. 

[Family 4,065]

8 hours ago, JR_CG said:

My wife local filed and received her CR-1 visa in March 2024 at the Riyadh embassy. In August we finally were told that her green card hasn’t arrived because her Visa Packet was never received and it needs to be recreated. 
We still live in Riyadh until June 2025 with the military but the Riyadh Embassy will not help us recreate her visa packet. They say that she has to do that in the states but she can’t get to the states before her temporary I-551 expires. 
I called USCIS and they said to recreate the packet at the embassy but the embassy refuses and are rude. I have called my congresswoman each week for three weeks to ask them to intervene but they also just keep saying that they will get back to me. 
 

Now I am worried that her temp green card is going to expire before this problem gets resolved and I don’t know how to renew it since she technically doesn’t have an I-551. As overseas military we could have filed her N-400 by now. 

1. What is “local filed”? 
2. In March 2024 did your wife enter the US and thus get her I-551 stamp at entry?

3. Who gave her the stamp? 

 

I am inclined to assume you did a DCF ( direct consular filing of I-130 ) with Ryadh Embassy that was approved in March 2024. 
‘They printed the visa and that is now in her passport. Is there an expiration date ?
 

Did you and your wife enter the US together in March 2024? Or at least please confirm that YOU entered the US right before or with her…

 

 

Can you redact and upload picture of visa page and stamp?
 

 

[Family 4,065]

9 hours ago, JR_CG said:

Now I am worried that her temp green card is going to expire before this problem gets resolved and I don’t know how to renew it since she technically doesn’t have an I-551. As overseas military we could have filed her N-400 by now. 

Often,  terms specific to immigration “lingo” can make it difficult . ..and I will assume your duties and different time zones account for the time delays.

 

So will talk through a few suggestions, and presume some facts:

 

1. If after I-130 ( DCF ) was approved and visa issued in March 2024, YOU and wife traveled to the US , she was stamped w I-551 at POE and allowed to enter. She then left US to join you .

‘If you paid the card production fee, then heard nothing…then print those receipts /emails and file online an I-90 ..for USCIS error ( no fee). Use a relative/friend MAILING address in the US.

Watch out online for an ASC fingerprint notice and have her fly in for appointment. If application is accepted online and you get a receipt/case number, then additional eyes on the file will get you resolution. I doubt they will RFE for you to re create “IV file “ ..but in case..

 

2. You should immediately do a DOS and CBP online FOIA for her complete A# file. It will have the DS-260 
 

3. If she never entered the US ( on that visa issued March 2024) ..then she needs Embassy to extend IV validity . Will require you to make some Noise as USC ..try in person appointment…even if via emergency services for USC , in the hope that department can reach out to the IV unit.

The FOIA will have DS-260, I-130, I-864 and she will do new medical.

 

[Lemonslice 4,919]

11 hours ago, JR_CG said:

My wife local filed and received her CR-1 visa in March 2024 at the Riyadh embassy. In August we finally were told that her green card hasn’t arrived because her Visa Packet was never received and it needs to be recreated. 
We still live in Riyadh until June 2025 with the military but the Riyadh Embassy will not help us recreate her visa packet. They say that she has to do that in the states but she can’t get to the states before her temporary I-551 expires. 
I called USCIS and they said to recreate the packet at the embassy but the embassy refuses and are rude. I have called my congresswoman each week for three weeks to ask them to intervene but they also just keep saying that they will get back to me. 
 

Now I am worried that her temp green card is going to expire before this problem gets resolved and I don’t know how to renew it since she technically doesn’t have an I-551. As overseas military we could have filed her N-400 by now. 

 

Why can't she fly back? 

 

If you were in the US, she would need to visit the closest Deferred Inspection Site.  Now, I would try to reach to CBP and escalate there, should @Family suggestions not work.

 

Since you're military, you might also want to reach out to their immigration help line.

Edited November 30 by Lemonslice

[Family 4,065]

18 minutes ago, Lemonslice said:

 

Why can't she fly back? 

 

If you were in the US, she would need to visit the closest Deferred Inspection Site.  Now, I would try to reach to CBP and escalate there, should @Family suggestions not work.

 

Since you're military, you might also want to reach out to their immigration help line.

I am still unsure of what the immediate “problem “ /question is..so lots of guessing on my part.

 

Initially, on another post, I understood question was simply if N-400 can be filed without the physical plastic card. Simple answer YES. …even for expeditious naturalizations.

 

BUT, then OP says, she has a stamp ,  her status does not “show” and someone is asking for a missing IV packet…

‘You are right about Get On The Plane and Go

 

 

 

https://www.state.gov/global-community-liaison-office/naturalization-of-foreign-born-spouses/guidelines-for-expeditious-naturalization/

A foreign-born spouse must have entered the U.S. legally and have Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status in the U.S. (The LPR status may be conditional and if a “green card” has not been issued yet, an “A” number in the passport with the annotation “processed for I-551” is sufficient.) Additionally, one of the following very important requirements must be true:

 

[Lil bear 4,258]

Just now, Family said:

I am still unsure of what the immediate “problem “ /question is..so lots of guessing on my part.

 

Initially, on another post, I understood question was simply if N-400 can be filed without the physical plastic card. Simple answer YES. …even for expeditious naturalizations.

 

BUT, then OP says, she has a stamp ,  her status does not “show” and someone is asking for a missing IV packet…

‘You are right about Get On The Plane and Go

 

 

 

https://www.state.gov/global-community-liaison-office/naturalization-of-foreign-born-spouses/guidelines-for-expeditious-naturalization/

A foreign-born spouse must have entered the U.S. legally and have Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status in the U.S. (The LPR status may be conditional and if a “green card” has not been issued yet, an “A” number in the passport with the annotation “processed for I-551” is sufficient.) Additionally, one of the following very important requirements must be true:

 

Until OP gives us some clarity by answering the questions you have asked, we are really answering speculatively…  which we all know is of no help !  Hopefully he will come back very soon and do so…  as i know the expertise and willingness to provide good answers is here !! 

[JR_CG 13]

6 hours ago, Family said:

1. What is “local filed”? 
2. In March 2024 did your wife enter the US and thus get her I-551 stamp at entry?

3. Who gave her the stamp? 

 

I am inclined to assume you did a DCF ( direct consular filing of I-130 ) with Ryadh Embassy that was approved in March 2024. 
‘They printed the visa and that is now in her passport. Is there an expiration date ?
 

Did you and your wife enter the US together in March 2024? Or at least please confirm that YOU entered the US right before or with her…

 

 

Can you redact and upload picture of visa page and stamp?
 

 

Local File is what the embassy has been calling it here, probably means Direct Consular File

 

We entered together on 26 March 2024, her passport was stamped by CBP/Immigration at the Phoenix Intl Airport. We are back together in Riyadh where we live until my tour of duty here ends in June 2025. The embassy did not give her a visa packet, only a paper in Arabic/English for the airlines explaining that her visa packet is digital and referenced nvc.state.gov/ceac which results in 404 page not found. When I do find CEAC and enter her case number it says her visa is complete. When we login to her USCIS account it says her green card fees are paid and pending. USCIS sent us an email saying that her packet needs to be mailed to Lexington, TX or that she needs to recreate the packet. 
 

We can’t afford to send her to the U.S. again right now and it looks doubtful we would be able to get an appointment before her temporary I-551 expires on 26 March 2025 anyways. When I called USCIS on 27 Nov, the agent said she needed to recreate her visa packet at the Embassy in Riyadh. I asked him if he could provide an email stating that and he said he couldn’t provide one and that I just need to convince the embassy that they are supposed to recreate the packet that they lost or didn’t upload or that they uploaded and it fell out of the system. The Immigrant Visa consulate section of the embassy doesn’t seem to understand or care. 

[JR_CG 13]

6 hours ago, Family said:

1. What is “local filed”? 
2. In March 2024 did your wife enter the US and thus get her I-551 stamp at entry?

3. Who gave her the stamp? 

 

I am inclined to assume you did a DCF ( direct consular filing of I-130 ) with Ryadh Embassy that was approved in March 2024. 
‘They printed the visa and that is now in her passport. Is there an expiration date ?
 

Did you and your wife enter the US together in March 2024? Or at least please confirm that YOU entered the US right before or with her…

 

 

Can you redact and upload picture of visa page and stamp?
 

 

 

[Lil bear 4,258]

22 minutes ago, JR_CG said:

Local File is what the embassy has been calling it here, probably means Direct Consular File

 

We entered together on 26 March 2024, her passport was stamped by CBP/Immigration at the Phoenix Intl Airport. We are back together in Riyadh where we live until my tour of duty here ends in June 2025. The embassy did not give her a visa packet, only a paper in Arabic/English for the airlines explaining that her visa packet is digital and referenced nvc.state.gov/ceac which results in 404 page not found. When I do find CEAC and enter her case number it says her visa is complete. When we login to her USCIS account it says her green card fees are paid and pending. USCIS sent us an email saying that her packet needs to be mailed to Lexington, TX or that she needs to recreate the packet. 
 

We can’t afford to send her to the U.S. again right now and it looks doubtful we would be able to get an appointment before her temporary I-551 expires on 26 March 2025 anyways. When I called USCIS on 27 Nov, the agent said she needed to recreate her visa packet at the Embassy in Riyadh. I asked him if he could provide an email stating that and he said he couldn’t provide one and that I just need to convince the embassy that they are supposed to recreate the packet that they lost or didn’t upload or that they uploaded and it fell out of the system. The Immigrant Visa consulate section of the embassy doesn’t seem to understand or care. 

There isn’t a packet to be recreated because there never was one. When we entered in 2016 , we carried the “sealed yellow envelope” that contained all the original documentation   It was sent to us when our passports were mailed to us  after the consulate printed the IV foil in them. 
Your wife’s case was fully electronically  recorded. There is no physical packet. Never was. Never needs to be  You were never supposed to get one , all the documentation was online and visible to the CBP officer at POE .. otherwise he couldn’t have processed her into n the US on her visa. 
That’s the “ easy part”. That’s why the consulate says they cant recreate it … its all electronic and should be on the system. They didn’t create it .. It was complete in the CEAC system at the NVC 
I am not sure how to move forward .. Hopefully someone else will chime in .. but i think filling the I90 may ? be a way of getting the system to recognise there is an issue. Maybe. 

 

Do you have e copies of all the documents you uploaded to CEAC? Put them together into zip file and contact your congressional reps again. Start the official request again and send them the efiles. While you can reproduce the paperwork, that’s not recreating the file. The A - file needs to be found / restored/ remade at the NVC CEAC level where it originated..

Now that Congress is past the election,  maybe the representatives will start working again. Make lots of noise often 
 

Edited November 30 by Lil bear

[JR_CG 13]

2 hours ago, Family said:

I am still unsure of what the immediate “problem “ /question is..so lots of guessing on my part.

 

Initially, on another post, I understood question was simply if N-400 can be filed without the physical plastic card. Simple answer YES. …even for expeditious naturalizations.

 

BUT, then OP says, she has a stamp ,  her status does not “show” and someone is asking for a missing IV packet…

‘You are right about Get On The Plane and Go

 

 

 

https://www.state.gov/global-community-liaison-office/naturalization-of-foreign-born-spouses/guidelines-for-expeditious-naturalization/

A foreign-born spouse must have entered the U.S. legally and have Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status in the U.S. (The LPR status may be conditional and if a “green card” has not been issued yet, an “A” number in the passport with the annotation “processed for I-551” is sufficient.) Additionally, one of the following very important requirements must be true:

 

 

2 minutes ago, Lil bear said:

There isn’t a packet to be recreated because there never was one. When we entered in 2016 , we carried the “sealed yellow envelope” that contained all the original documentation   It was sent to us when our passports were mailed to us  after the consulate printed the IV foil in them. 
Your wife’s case was fully electronically  recorded. There is no physical packet. Never was. Never needs to be  You were never supposed to get one , all the documentation was online and visible to the CBP officer at POE .. otherwise he couldn’t have processed her into n the US on her visa. 
That’s the “ easy part”. That’s c why the consulate says they cant recreate it … its all electronic and should be on the system. 
I am not sure how to move forward .. Hopefully someone else will chime in .. but i think filling the I90 may ? be a way of getting the system to recognise there is an issue. Maybe. 

It makes sense that it would be somewhere electronically, but I would think that they would still have a he physical hard copy of the I-130, I-485, etc that they stamped at our appointment, or that they could restamp a new one that we bring in. 
 

my main concern is that because it took USCIS five months to tell us the visa packet wasn’t received and it is taking months to get additional responses from the embassy and USCIS, her I-551 will expire and then my tour in Saudi Arabia ends before we figure out what exactly to do. I have been told that she needs an actual permanent I-551 before she can file for her N-400. I am not sure even how to convey the info from the temporary I-551 into the format they ask for on the form as if it were coming from a permanent I-551. When she gets her perm I-551 would the creation date be the 26 March 2024 date that she entered the U.S.? It seems like the N-400 will be rejected because the system shows her LPR is pending receipt of a visa packet. I can’t afford to pay the N-400 and it be denied. 
While we are in Riyadh we have a U.S. APO, AE address and it counts as her being in the United States because she is on military orders. If we don’t figure this out by June, I will have to fly her at our expense back to Ecuador where the country has been shutting off the electricity for 14 hours per day for months now and the crime and homicide rates have exploded over the last couple years. She has a very real chance of being kidnapped and held for ransom because she is married to a U.S. citizen. All of her family has been robbed at gunpoint, some have also been beaten, some extorted, some murdered. 

[JR_CG 13]

3 hours ago, Family said:

I am still unsure of what the immediate “problem “ /question is..so lots of guessing on my part.

 

Initially, on another post, I understood question was simply if N-400 can be filed without the physical plastic card. Simple answer YES. …even for expeditious naturalizations.

 

BUT, then OP says, she has a stamp ,  her status does not “show” and someone is asking for a missing IV packet…

‘You are right about Get On The Plane and Go

 

 

 

https://www.state.gov/global-community-liaison-office/naturalization-of-foreign-born-spouses/guidelines-for-expeditious-naturalization/

A foreign-born spouse must have entered the U.S. legally and have Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status in the U.S. (The LPR status may be conditional and if a “green card” has not been issued yet, an “A” number in the passport with the annotation “processed for I-551” is sufficient.) Additionally, one of the following very important requirements must be true:

 

It seems like filing for an I-90 might be the right answer if we are able to get the automatic 36 month extension they started offering in Sep 2024. That could at least get us into the U.S. in June 2025 if the embassy can’t help us. 
I just worry that USCIS will say that she doesn’t have an LPR to replace/renew because their system says it is pending receipt of visa packet to be created. It’s like she is stuck in limbo with having but not having residency status and she is stuck in limbo between USCIS saying to go to the Embassy in Riyadh and the Embassy saying to go to USCIS in the states. 
There is a USCIS office in Doha, Qatar that we can drive seven hours to get to, and get her a visa to enter Qatar, but they haven’t responded yet if they are able to help in this situation. 
I have also called the USCIS military helpline which can get you to a rep, but they are not able to do anything other than file a ticket for someone to call within 30 days and they only generate an email saying to recreate the packet. 
I have called my congresswoman for assistance in being able to talk to the embassy but her office only says someone will get back to me. 
I have looked at filing a FOIA but it wouldn’t get anything back to us in time and looks to be an unknown few hundred dollars at least. 
 

Ironically, I am here as military but technically work for the Ambassador, however, consulates are cordoned off from being influenced by ambassadors so he has no authority to intervene. 

[Lil bear 4,258]

I am so sorry for how this is affecting your life. Living in the ME would be enough of a challenge in its own 

 

Yes when processing problems arise it seems the first place the file goes is into the too hard  basket until someone makes enough loud noises  

 

I doubt that the consulate keeps any paper files. Anything necessary would be uploaded by them  then shredded   Its not their file to manage .. its USCIS file 

 

 

Edited November 30 by Lil bear

[Lemonslice 4,919]

37 minutes ago, JR_CG said:

 

It makes sense that it would be somewhere electronically, but I would think that they would still have a he physical hard copy of the I-130, I-485, etc that they stamped at our appointment, or that they could restamp a new one that we bring in. 
 

my main concern is that because it took USCIS five months to tell us the visa packet wasn’t received and it is taking months to get additional responses from the embassy and USCIS, her I-551 will expire and then my tour in Saudi Arabia ends before we figure out what exactly to do. I have been told that she needs an actual permanent I-551 before she can file for her N-400. I am not sure even how to convey the info from the temporary I-551 into the format they ask for on the form as if it were coming from a permanent I-551. When she gets her perm I-551 would the creation date be the 26 March 2024 date that she entered the U.S.? It seems like the N-400 will be rejected because the system shows her LPR is pending receipt of a visa packet. I can’t afford to pay the N-400 and it be denied. 
While we are in Riyadh we have a U.S. APO, AE address and it counts as her being in the United States because she is on military orders. If we don’t figure this out by June, I will have to fly her at our expense back to Ecuador where the country has been shutting off the electricity for 14 hours per day for months now and the crime and homicide rates have exploded over the last couple years. She has a very real chance of being kidnapped and held for ransom because she is married to a U.S. citizen. All of her family has been robbed at gunpoint, some have also been beaten, some extorted, some murdered. 

Can't she fly to the US and stay with family untill she receives her card? Beats the risk in Ecuador it seems.

Edited November 30 by Lemonslice

[Family 4,065]

6 hours ago, JR_CG said:

It seems like filing for an I-90 might be the right answer if we are able to get the automatic 36 month extension they started offering in Sep 2024. That could at least get us into the U.S. in June 2025 if the embassy can’t help us. 
I just worry that USCIS will say that she doesn’t have an LPR to replace/renew because their system says it is pending receipt of visa packet to be created. It’s like she is stuck in limbo with having but not having residency status and she is stuck in limbo between USCIS saying to go to the Embassy in Riyadh and the Embassy saying to go to USCIS in the states. 
There is a USCIS office in Doha, Qatar that we can drive seven hours to get to, and get her a visa to enter Qatar, but they haven’t responded yet if they are able to help in this situation. 
I have also called the USCIS military helpline which can get you to a rep, but they are not able to do anything other than file a ticket for someone to call within 30 days and they only generate an email saying to recreate the packet. 
I have called my congresswoman for assistance in being able to talk to the embassy but her office only says someone will get back to me. 
I have looked at filing a FOIA but it wouldn’t get anything back to us in time and looks to be an unknown few hundred dollars at least. 
 

Ironically, I am here as military but technically work for the Ambassador, however, consulates are cordoned off from being influenced by ambassadors so he has no authority to intervene. 

With all that info in hand , time for action :

 

1. Her I-551 stamp ( plus copy of IV visa ) is good enough to apply for N-400. ..it’s OK she is a conditional resident , living overseas and still has not received the plastic card. See the link in prev post

 

2. She does NOT need the plastic card to prove her legal LPR status , travel ..etc. She is an LPR 

 

3. Sounds like her IV packet was “digital “ as you were told , and she SUCCESSFULLY entered the US . ..( so glad you came w her!)..so relax things will work out.

 

4. Seems very silly , they sent you that email asking consulate to re upload IV packet…when THEY could have easily done sent a request to DOS…nonetheless, no reason to worry. 
 Congressional Liason should figure it out in the end . ..and get the departments talking to each other. ..just keep emailing them for status updates. 
 

5. Military ‘expeditious naturalization “ is the immediate solution and she can apply ( and get about life) without the plastic card ! 
She may get it done before needing to fly home and get a new stamp.

 

6. Don’t do I-90…since her case would require ROC..and likely add confusion 

 

 

[Family 4,065]

7 hours ago, JR_CG said:

It seems like filing for an I-90 might be the right answer if we are able to get the automatic 36 month extension they started offering in Sep 2024. That could at least get us into the U.S. in June 2025 if the embassy can’t help us. 
I just worry that USCIS will say that she doesn’t have an LPR to replace/renew because their system says it is pending receipt of visa packet to be created. It’s like she is stuck in limbo with having but not having residency status and she is stuck in limbo between USCIS saying to go to the Embassy in Riyadh and the Embassy saying to go to USCIS in the states. 
There is a USCIS office in Doha, Qatar that we can drive seven hours to get to, and get her a visa to enter Qatar, but they haven’t responded yet if they are able to help in this situation. 
I have also called the USCIS military helpline which can get you to a rep, but they are not able to do anything other than file a ticket for someone to call within 30 days and they only generate an email saying to recreate the packet. 
I have called my congresswoman for assistance in being able to talk to the embassy but her office only says someone will get back to me. 
I have looked at filing a FOIA but it wouldn’t get anything back to us in time and looks to be an unknown few hundred dollars at least. 
 

Ironically, I am here as military but technically work for the Ambassador, however, consulates are cordoned off from being influenced by ambassadors so he has no authority to intervene. 

At time of N-400 application and from here on 😂..please present your story in shortcut “ Here is her I-551 proof of status” “ they have not sent produced card yet, some internal delay , Congressman helping out” 

 

And clarify to Congressional Liason that you expect them to get the Embassy/DOS to talk directly to card production unit who sent you email.

 

Apply online for N-400 , you will get case number , after that  ask military helpline to “ check” on and make sure it moves along

 

 

Edited November 30 by Family