Question:
Green card replacement problems!?
Answer:
I have just mailed an I-90 form and supporting documentation to replace
a green card I lost over a month ago. I was given bad information from
the INS helpline and so acting on that information tried to hand in the
application in person at the Federal Plaza office in NYC, I waited 3
hours and was told my a chinese agent with very poor english that I
could not hand it in person and had to mail it to the same address. She
also told me that I could not leave the country for at 2-6 months. Do
you know of any way I could get a temporary document to prove that I
have permanent resident status? I would like to make the case that
denying one's right to travel and reentry is a violation of the right to
travel and that to wait for months on end for a new card is absolutely
unreasonable especially since they should already have me in their
database as being a permanent resident. Know of anyone I can escalate
this issue to? Any advice would be most welcome and greatly aid
returning me to my normally giggly travel-loving disposition.
Here is a URL for a post about a NYC green card holder whose wallet was
stolen and how they had to go about getting a replacement card.
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&th=6f64bf8c28864-
c47&rnum=2
NYC sucks big time. You can go back and ask for an I-551 stamp in
your passport which will allow you to travel and return from outside
of the US. I understand that in order to "order" a replacement green
card you will need to supply a notarized statement as to the
circumstances of the loss.
NYC INS hires a lot of new citizens and this is a major problem for many
of us...the language barrier. English is not a oft-spoken language in
New York City any more. As for the 1-800 number, never call them and ask
for advice. They are ill trained (if at all) and you can call with the
same question three times and get three different answers.
I read on www.INS.gov (pasted below) that the I-551 is a program for
renewing expiring green cards and not to replace lost or stolen ones. I
had taken my papers to the Varick Street office which is the local
Application Support center for Manhattan. They told me to mail it in and
I could get documents when I was given an appointment for fingerprinting
in 2-6 months. The manager refused to give me anything for the meantime
was dismissive of my status as a diversity green card holder.
I will go there again tomorrow and speak to some more agents if I get
the same treatment I will list names here and also in a complaint to the
senator/congress persons for NY state.
"GREEN CARD" (I-551) RENEWAL PROGRAM
General Application Instructions
If you have already submitted Form I-90, Application to Replace
Permanent Resident Card, to renew your 10-year expiring/expired "Green
Card," please do NOT resubmit your application.
Many Application Support Centers (ASCs) are not able to offer same day
service for customers applying to renew their expiring 10-year Green
Cards due to increased security checks. Customers needing to renew their
expiring 10-year Green Cards should still submit their completed Form
I-90 to the appropriate ASC in person; at that time, the customer will
be scheduled for an appointment to return to the ASC to have their card
renewed. All other procedures below are still in effect.
This is all good advice, can you believe that not one person I spoke to
at the INS mentioned the I-551 stamp. I spoke to 4 people on the 1-800
number and 4 people in person. They herded us about like cattle at
Federal Plaza. I have a hard time believing that these are indeed
sentient human beings and not robots with faulty software that recites
scripted answers which do not correspond to the questions asked.
I-551 is not a "program." It is the INS "form number" of the greencard
itself and each INS document seems to have a number (I-551, I-130,
I-751, etc).
St. Trinians, before you start complaining about not being
served at the INS Application Service Center, you should be
aware that the INS ASCs accept only I-90s which ask for
replacement of an expiring or expired 10-year Permanent
Resident Card.
Form I-551 is the INS form number for *all* Permanent
Resident Cards.
See
http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/fieldoffices/newyork/aboutus.htm,
"Green Card (Form I-551) Renewal." Don't click on the link;
read the material below it, under "Replacing Cards for Other
Reasons (Lost or Damaged Cards; Replacing Non-Expiring Cards
Upon Reaching Age 14)." Apparently INS NY has a mail-in
process for filing these categories of I-90s, and it does
not accept in-person filings.
The INS ASC actually *cannot* legally accept your I-90 for
your lost green card.
What should have happened to you is that the INS employees
that you talked to should have asked whether you need
evidence of permanent resident status right away, and if so
they should have told you to come to INS New York in person
and get a stamp in your passport.
Actually, they are robots with faulty software that receite scripted
answers which do not correspond to the questions asked.
Well, of course they really are human beings - but the ones you are
likely to encounter at the INS are minimum-wage people who really do work
mostly off scripts and nothing else. The people who are highly trained
usually work in the back offices. Remember rule number 1 with INS: NEVER
ASK QUESTIONS. And Rule 2: IF YOU GET AN ANSWER, NEVER BELIEVE IT!
