This blog post will summarize what happens in a case when your green card petition was approved by USCIS but you never received the actual green card in mail. In these cases, it’s extremely important to reach out to USCIS and/or USPS (that delivers the green cards) as soon as possible to try to figure out whether the green card was returned to USCIS or whether it got lost during delivery process.
My Green Card was approved, but was never delivered to me and was returned to USCIS as undeliverable
If your green card petition was approved but the Green Card was never delivered to you and it was returned to USCIS as undeliverable, you will need to file Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card.
You will need to submit a copy of the I-797 Approval Notice granting you the permanent resident status. In case you obtained an immigrant visa at a Consulate abroad and you never received your green card after coming to the U.S. (despite applying for it), you will need to submit a copy of your I-551 stamp from your passport. You will also need to submit a copy of a government issued ID. You will not need to pay the USCIS filing fee (which currently for Form I-90 is $455 plus $85 biometrics fee) in this scenario. In the I-90 form, you will need to select the option “My previous card was issued, but never received.”
My Green Card was never delivered, but it was not returned to USCIS as undeliverable
In this case, you will also need to file the I-90 Form. You can still get a new green card, but you will also need to pay the USCIS filing and biometrics fee for the I-90 Form. You can find out whether your card was returned to USCIS or not on the USCIS case status website or by calling USCIS. If you did not receive the green card, but it was not returned to USCIS, you will need to select the option “My previous card has been lost, stolen, or destroyed” in the I-90 form, and as mentioned above, pay the filing and the biometrics fee.
How long will it take to get a new green card? Is there any way how to speed up the application?
The current processing time for getting a replacement green card is around 15 months (please note that this was an estimate at the time this blog post was written and USCIS timelines change frequently, depending on USCIS’ current caseload). You could file an Expedite Request if you fall under one of the expedite criteria.
Can I travel while I wait for the green card?
If you need to travel while you are waiting for the new green card, you should schedule an Infopass appointment at a local USCIS field office in advance of your international trip. USCIS can issue an I-551 stamp in your passport, and that would serve as evidence of your lawful permanent status and would allow you to travel internationally.
You can read our blog post on How to Maintain your Green Card by clicking here.
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