Accidents can happen in every possible way, including losing your green card. If this does happen, then it is important that you apply to receive a new one as soon as possible. Don’t worry though, the fact that you lost your green card does not mean that you have lost your ability to stay and work in the U.S.
Rather, what it most likely means is that you will have a hard time securing new employment or traveling around the country. For that reason, if your green card has been lost, take the following steps to get a new one immediately:
- If you are currently in the U.S., you should send immigration an I-90 form. Along with the form, there will be a fee, roughly $370.
- A copy of the front side of your green card, which you may not have.
You should also send:If you don’t have a copy of your green card:
- Write a letter explaining when and possibly where you lost your green card.
- Some other document that proves your identity. Passports or driver’s licenses work well in this regard.
- You are NOT required to send in photographs of yourself. Merely the documentation listed above.
You should receive a response within a few weeks of mailing in the form, during which you will have a new picture taken and be fingerprinted again. If there are no problems, then a few months later you will receive your new green card.
If you are currently outside the U.S., you should apply at the U.S. embassy for a “transportation letter” that will allow you to be transported into the U.S. for one month.
Hopefully, these tips will help show you how to obtain a new green card, as well as helping eliminate any stress you may currently be experiencing.