Green card replacement problems!
 

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.

Re: Green card replacement problems!
 

st.trinians wrote:
    > 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.

I don't know how they handle this in NYC, but usually, you file an I-90 at your local
INS office in person.

    > She also told me that I could not leave the country for at 2-6 months.

That's not true.

    > Do you know of any way I could get a temporary document to prove that I have
    > permanent resident status?

You can get an I-551 stamp into your passport. This is also done at your local
INS office.

-Joe

Re: Green card replacement problems!
 

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.

Rete

Re: Green card replacement problems!
 

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=e...8864c47&rnum=2

Re: Green card replacement problems!
 

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.

Re: Green card replacement problems!
 

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.

Re: Green card replacement problems!
 

"st.trinians" wrote:
    >
    > I read on www.INS.gov (pasted below) that the I-551 is a program for

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).

Re: Green card replacement problems!
 

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/fi...rk/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.

st.trinians wrote:

    > 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 don't see that assertion at all.

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.

Re: Green card replacement problems!
 

On Thu, 11 Jul 2002 06:20:12 -0700, st.trinians wrote:

    > 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.
    >

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!

Ingo

Re: Green card replacement problems!
 

Thank you all for your feedback.
I did mail in the I-90 form plus supporting documents but would like to get a stamp on my passport so I can travel in the meantime.
I was told that I have to wait 2-6 months before I can do this and there is no way I can travel until they see fit to issue me with an appointment for fingerprinting!
I cannot seem to find a way to bypass this wait, they told me there needs to be an emergency like a death and I need proof of it before they would give me a stamp on my passport.

Re: Green card replacement problems!
 

On Sun, 14 Jul 2002 20:20:17 -0700, st.trinians wrote:

    > Thank you all for your feedback. I did mail in the I-90 form plus supporting
    > documents but would like to get a stamp on my passport so I can travel in the
    > meantime. I was told that I have to wait 2-6 months before I can do this and there
    > is no way I can travel until they see fit to issue me with an appointment for
    > fingerprinting! I cannot seem to find a way to bypass this wait, they told me there
    > needs to be an emergency like a death and I need proof of it before they would give
    > me a stamp on my passport.

Nonsense. Well, it's possible that the INS office does handle things that way, but
you should point out that you are required by law to always carry your Green Card
with you, and without that stamp you cannot do that. In other words, it is not just
for travelling that you need the I-551 stamp, but rather it is a legal requirement
for you to actually have it (although it is rarely enforced).

Ingo

Re: Green card replacement problems!
 

st.trinians wrote:

    > Thank you all for your feedback. I did mail in the I-90 form plus supporting
    > documents but would like to get a stamp on my passport so I can travel in the
    > meantime. I was told that I have to wait 2-6 months before I can do this and there
    > is no way I can travel until they see fit to issue me with an appointment for
    > fingerprinting! I cannot seem to find a way to bypass this wait, they told me there
    > needs to be an emergency like a death and I need proof of it before they would give
    > me a stamp on my passport.

That is outrageous. I suggest that you call your Congressperson -- the local office
of the Member of the House of Representatives for your district -- and request
assistance with getting a passport stamp even though you don't have an urgent reason
for travel outside the U.S. The Congressperson's staff has access by phone with a
Congressional Liaison Unit within INS New York.

See http://congress.nw.dc.us/rollcall/search.html for an easy way to find your
Congressperson using your zip code.

Re: Green card replacement problems!
 

Thank you all very much this is a wonderful site!!
I am very impressed with the thoughful and considerate replies!!
It helps me immensely!!
You are all truly wonderful people!!
best regards,

M

Re: Green card replacement problems!
 

Yes call your representative asap. Even though you are not a citizen and have not voted they will be happy to assist you as you are a potential citizen and therefore voter.

Look online under "House of Representative" and then follow the instructions to determine who your rep is. You can get their phone number online or find it in the blue pages of your local phone book.

DO NOT CALL YOUR SENATORS. The NY Senators are worthless. I'm a New Yorker and I know of what I speak.

Your Rep will have an immigration liaison who will ask you questions over the phone and then will either have you fax them the problem or will fax you a questionnaire to be completed. You can fax them back.

They have a special congressional interest office on the 5th floor at Federal Plaza but you can't go there without a letter from the Rep's liaison.

My husband had to do this because he must have had the same arsehole in NYC INS that you did and he refused to give him an extended I-551 stamp in his passport even though his guard unit was activated and if sent overseas he had no way to prove his residency. The problem was the examiner never sent his I-89 to the Vermont Service Center for processing and a year later his I-551 was expired.

Good Luck

Rete

Re: Green card replacement problems!
 

I went today to the Federal Plaza (3rd Floor) with the intention of getting my passport stamped. I waited 3 hours like everyone else has to.
The guy at the desk told me that he can't do anything not until I am issued a fingerprinting application (2-6 months).
He refused to consider the argument that I should have the stamp on my passport by right to prove my status as a DV greencard holder.
He also told me that they might not even have my application despite the fact that I mailed in in a week ago by certified mail and I have confirmation from the USPS that they have actually received it. He even said that I would have to resubmit the application all over again and pay again if I wanted any the stamp on my passport!!! When I said I want to file a complaint he refused to tell me his name and then brought over his supervisor ( J Mormino-on the badge) who was not only very insulting, he called security.
I am at my wits end , I left the building in tears

What can I do ?? I will contact my local congress rep tomorrow.