A lost credit card is a hassle. A lost driver’s license is a problem. But lost immigration documents can soon become a crisis. The result may be that you don’t get the job you need, or you can’t see your family, or you can’t live in the US.
The good news is that you can turn a crisis into just an inconvenience, IF you act early enough. Misplaced or damaged immigration documents are a common problem, and even the rigid USCIS knows that. Though it’s difficult and there’s not much room for any more mistakes or bad luck, there’s always a way forward.
If you can’t find any of your immigration documents, contact me, Boston immigration attorney Giselle M. Rodriguez. I help clients with the full range of immigration challenges, including lost immigration documents, and I may be able to help you find an acceptable substitute in the meantime. Of course, you should expect your immigration goals to be somewhat delayed, but you’ll be handling this problem in the right way, and that will give you the best chances at the legal outcome you want.
A few examples of situations where you might have lost your immigration documents:
- You’ve lost your green card. (Replacing this involves filing a Form I-90, which is also what you’d use to renew your green card.)
- You’ve lost your certificate of Naturalization via N-400 process.
- You’ve lost your N-600 certificate of citizenship.
- You’ve lost it all, like perhaps your passport, driver’s license, SSN card, etc. (That happened to one of my clients, whose belongings were burned up in the 2023 Hawaii wildfires.)
Those are all serious problems, but they’re also fixable. I can help you work toward a replacement before any deadlines get too close. If the deadlines are already close, and a little extra time is more valuable than a little extra money, consider my urgent immigration counsel service.
Whatever your situation with lost immigration paperwork, you can contact my office in Boston to schedule a consultation.