Loss of green card FAQs

Tuesday, May 1, 2018 - 05:23

Must I Carry My Green Card With Me At All Times?

Question

Can I keep the notarized copy of my green card instead of original green card? Because I think it’s risky to carry GC all the time and have fear of it getting lost. cost and wait time for replacing GC is very high.
When I will travel out of town or government buildings I can take my GC with me. But for other day to day routine travel can I keep my GC safe at home ? What is the maximum penalty I have to pay if random checked by immigration officer (very unlikely) I provide my driving license and notarized copy of GC? Is it very serious offense ? Have you seen people getting into immigration(USCIS) trouble for not carrying original GC?
Do we have to do police complaint if GC is lost? If yes then can you please explain the procedure, and forms to fill.

Answer

Watch the Video on this FAQ: Must I carry my green card with me at all times?

Video Transcript

In Trumps America I would rather not take a chance and if you look at section 264 of Immigration and Nationality Act which is codified as 8 USC section 1304,  the subsection, clearly says every alien 18 years and over shall at all times carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card issued to him pursuant to subsection D. So if you don't carry your green card with you, you are guilty of a misdemeanor which means a crime and shall upon conviction for each offence be fined not to exceed a hundred dollars or be imprisoned not more than 30 days or both. More...



Note: This is a verbatim transcript of the referenced audio/video media delivered as oral communication, and, therefore, may not conform to written grammatical or syntactical form.



Wednesday, March 7, 2018 - 01:34

International Travel as a Permanent Resident

Question

1. What documents do I need to travel outside the United States?<br>
2. What documents do I need to present to reenter the United States?<br>
3. Does travel outside the United States affect my permanent resident status?<br>
4. What if my trip abroad will last longer than 1 year?<br>
5. What if I lose my green card or reentry permit or it is stolen or destroyed while I am temporarily traveling outside of the United States?

Answer

1. In general, you will need to present a passport from your country of citizenship or your refugee travel document to travel to a foreign country.  In addition, the foreign country may have additional entry/exit requirements (such as a visa).  For information on foreign entry and exit requirements, see the Department of State’s webpage.


2. If seeking to enter the United States after temporary travel abroad, you will need to present a valid, unexpired “green card” (Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card). When arriving at a port of entry, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer will review your permanent resident card and any other identity documents you present, such as a passport, foreign national I.D. card or U.S. Driver’s License, and determine if you can enter the United States.  For information pertaining to entry into the United States, see U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s webpage.


3. Permanent residents are free to travel outside the United States, and temporary or brief travel usually does not affect your permanent resident status. If it is determined, however, that you did not intend to make the United States your permanent home, you will be found to have abandoned your permanent resident status.  A general guide used is whether you have been absent from the United States for more than a year. Abandonment may be found to occur in trips of less than a year where it is believed you did not intend to make the United States your permanent residence.  While brief trips abroad generally are not problematic, the officer may consider criteria such as whether your intention was to visit abroad only temporarily, whether you maintained U.S. family and community ties, maintained U.S employment, filed U.S. income taxes as a resident, or otherwise established your intention to return to the United States as your permanent home. Other factors that may be considered include whether you maintained a U.S. mailing address, kept U.S. bank accounts and a valid U.S. driver’s license, own property or run a business in the United States, or any other evidence that supports the temporary nature of your absence.


4. If you plan on being absent from the United States for longer than a year, it is advisable to first apply for a reentry permit on Form I-131. Obtaining a reentry permit prior to leaving the United States allows a permanent or conditional permanent resident to apply for admission into the United States during the permit’s validity without the need to obtain a returning resident visa from a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad.  Please note that it does not guarantee entry into the United States upon your return as you must first be determined to be admissible; however, it will assist you in establishing your intention to permanently reside in the United States.  For more information, see the “Travel Documents” page. 

If you remain outside of the United States for more than 2 years, any reentry permit granted before your departure from the United States will have expired. In this case, it is advisable to consider applying for a returning resident visa (SB-1) at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. An SB-1 applicant will be required to establish eligibility for an immigrant visa and will need a medical exam.  There is an exception to this process for the spouse or child of either a member of the U.S. Armed Forces or civilian employee of the U.S. Government stationed abroad on official orders.  For more information on obtaining a returning resident visa, see the Department of State’s webpage on returning resident visas.

Additionally, absences from the United States of six months or more may disrupt the continuous residency required for naturalization.  If your absence is one year or longer and you wish to preserve your continuous residency in the United States for naturalization purposes, you may file an Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes on Form N-470. For more information, please see the “Continuous Residence and Physical Presence Requirements” page.

 

5. If you lose your green card or reentry permit or it is stolen or destroyed while you are abroad, you may need to file a Form I-131A, Application for Travel Document (Carrier Documentation).  This carrier documentation will allow an airline or other transportation carrier to board a lawful permanent resident bound for the United States without the carrier being penalized.  For more information, please see the Form I-131A, Application for Travel Document (Carrier Documentation) page.

Monday, September 19, 2011 - 05:18

Green Card Stolen

Question

What is to be done when your green card is stolen? I just got mine not to long ago, I am 17 years old and I am not sure what I am supposed to do?

Answer

You can easily apply for a replacement green card. Read the instructions on Form I-90. Please visit this link for more information.
http://www.immigration.com/renew-or-replace-green-card

Friday, February 26, 2010 - 07:00

How to renew green card

Question

My father's greencard will expire in June. How do we renew it?

Friday, January 22, 2010 - 03:51

Renewing a green card

Question

What if already have a Green Card I lost it, but it wasn't expire yet and I need to redo it how much it going to cost me to renew to get it redo?

Answer

You do not need a lawyer for something simple like this usually. I think you should look at Form I-90 at the USCIS web site.