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Story about my lost green card

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    Story about my lost green card

    Discovered it was not with my passport thirty minutes prior to planned leaving time for Canada vacation on June 25. Spent an hour looking for it, together with my husband. Did not find it; went anyways.

    Called American Consulate office in Winnipeg after we arrived -- Done
    They couldn't help us. Called Customs and Border Patrol at Winnipeg Airport -- Done
    They said I'd probably be OK; my identity would need to be verified and they would likely allow me to cross border and apply for replacement card at home. Said to call Pembina, ND border crossing and talk to them, so I did that and received similar information -- Done

    My uncle passed away while I was in Canada. We extended vacation one day to stay for his memorial service. While there, I talked to a cousin from WA state who lost her green card once. She was required to apply for replacement and pay the $450 filing fee prior to being allowed to re-enter. Was concerned that might happen to me, but I crossed the ND border fairly easily back into US on July 11 -- Done

    At the ND border, I was instructed to make official call of lost card to USCIS; apparently my two Winnipeg phone calls and reporting lost card here at the border was not enough. Got home and called USCIS; asked them other questions and they hung up before getting lost card information -- Done
    Called them back and went their their voice mail system a second time. This time, was able to report lost card -- Done

    My previous green card, because I obtained it prior to 1989, had no expiration date. Discovered that, when I obtain a new green card, it will need to be renewed once every 10 years and the $450 filing fee paid each time. Decided to check into whether I could apply for naturalization instead, and if I could do that with a lost green card -- Done

    Yes, I can do that. Will save me the inconvenience and cost of renewing every ten years, and I've considered it before, anyways -- Done

    Filled out 21 page N400 application for naturalization -- Done
    Made three phone calls to former employers to attempt to locate a copy of my green card -- Done
    Picked up a copy of my lost green card from one of my former employers, since it should be included with N400 application -- Done (There are ways around that, but they require lots of extra steps.)

    Made an extra copy of my lost green card for my file and took a photo that is saved on my google account in case I ever require it again -- Done
    Had 2 passport photos taken for application -- Done
    Wrote a one-time $680 check to Homeland Security in order to file application -- Done
    Mailed application -- Done

    Breathed a sigh of relief while I await them making appointments for biometrics (finger-printing) and interview. That will be followed by taking a civics test prior to being accepted for American citizenship -- Done
    Last edited by Mamabug; 07-16-2015, 07:14 PM. Reason: Put spaces in, for easier reading. Sorry.
    ~ Faith
    MSWorld Volunteer -- Moderator since JUN2012
    (now a Mimibug)

    Symptoms began in JAN02
    - Dx with RRMS in OCT03, following 21 months of limbo, ruling out lots of other dx, and some "probable stroke" and "probable CNS" dx for awhile.
    - In 2008, I was back in limbo briefly, then re-dx w/ MS: JUL08
    .

    - Betaseron NOV03-AUG08; Copaxone20 SEPT08-APR15; Copaxone40 APR15-present
    - Began receiving SSDI / LTD NOV08. Not employed. I volunteer in my church and community.

    #2
    Geez louise !! What is your birth place (country of origin) ? Afghanistan? Yeah the INS and Homeland Security are real careful these days ! I hope something like that never happens to me ! Hey !! That's what I said about MS 10 years ago !! lol

    Comment


      #3
      Wow Faith! That sounds like my charity care applications! Two forms of ID that prove I live in NC, three of my last bank statements, a letter of support from my money- notarized. I hope you get everything done. Good for you for getting so close to done with everything!

      Take care
      Lisa
      Disabled RN with MS for 14 years
      SPMS EDSS 7.5 Wheelchair (but a racing one)
      Tysabri

      Comment


        #4
        Lol. I thought they went easy on me, for them.
        • They could have been rude; they weren't.
        • They could've kept me at the border asking questions for two hours or more; they didn't.
        • They could've treated me like my cousin and made me take care of all of it before allowing me to cross; they didn't.


        30+ years ago, they had me in tears on my honeymoon following my Canadian wedding, during their two hour questioning, and not knowing if they would allow me back into the US because, although I thought I had the correct paperwork, I'd been misinformed by the agency I was volunteering with regarding B1 Visitor's permits and permanent resident card regulations.

        And, 4 years ago, they had my daughter in tears a week before her wedding, when they did not allow her fiance into the country for his wedding and banned him from the US for 5 years. Thankfully, that spunky girl got in gear, told everybody what to do and organized an appeal. Although they did not lift the ban, they did allow groom a 10-day "parole" to attend their Kansas wedding and their $1000 non-refundable honeymoon in Colorado. He, very foolishly, told a white lie -- telling them he was coming for a friend's wedding, rather than his own. But, that is a felony ("Falsifying material information") and he could have been arrested and banned for life.

        Trying to cross the border without a green card coulda been way worse. Customs and Border Patrol were helpful, professional and made decisions in my favor, when I'm sure they must have had other options. I am grateful to them.
        ~ Faith
        MSWorld Volunteer -- Moderator since JUN2012
        (now a Mimibug)

        Symptoms began in JAN02
        - Dx with RRMS in OCT03, following 21 months of limbo, ruling out lots of other dx, and some "probable stroke" and "probable CNS" dx for awhile.
        - In 2008, I was back in limbo briefly, then re-dx w/ MS: JUL08
        .

        - Betaseron NOV03-AUG08; Copaxone20 SEPT08-APR15; Copaxone40 APR15-present
        - Began receiving SSDI / LTD NOV08. Not employed. I volunteer in my church and community.

        Comment


          #5
          You don't exactly look like a terrorist. All this security has gotten out of hand. But, You handled it all with good humor and will end up the proud owner of a US Passport.

          Comment


            #6
            I thought you were going to end all that with "found my green card". I would have cried.
            "It matters not how strait the gate,
            How charged with punishments the scroll,
            I am the master of my fate,
            I am the captain of my soul." ˜William Ernest Henley

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by DPL2014 View Post
              I thought you were going to end all that with "found my green card". I would have cried.
              I probably would've cried too. I did look, again, after I returned home, before I called USCIS to officially report it lost. After that report was made, they invalidate the card, and finding it, at this point, would be useless. That happened to my cousin. She found hers, after she got home. But, because they had required her to apply and pay for a replacement card at the border, hers had already been invalidated so she still had to go through waiting for her replacement to come through.
              ~ Faith
              MSWorld Volunteer -- Moderator since JUN2012
              (now a Mimibug)

              Symptoms began in JAN02
              - Dx with RRMS in OCT03, following 21 months of limbo, ruling out lots of other dx, and some "probable stroke" and "probable CNS" dx for awhile.
              - In 2008, I was back in limbo briefly, then re-dx w/ MS: JUL08
              .

              - Betaseron NOV03-AUG08; Copaxone20 SEPT08-APR15; Copaxone40 APR15-present
              - Began receiving SSDI / LTD NOV08. Not employed. I volunteer in my church and community.

              Comment


                #8
                Just an update

                After applying for naturalization / citizenship (N-400) in July, I had an August appointment for biometrics (fingerprinting). Per USCIS (US Customs and Immigration) advice, I made an appointment to have my passport stamped. That will qualify as an entry document to the US, since my green card is lost and my naturalization process is not complete yet.

                My passport got stamped on Wednesday. We were planning to leave on October 17 for my daughter's Oct 21 graduation from the nursing program at U of M in Winnipeg. However, I have another appointment scheduled for my interview and my civics test on October 19. It is possible to reschedule it, but USCIS advised against it. It will put me at the bottom of the list and delay things. So, we plan to leave directly after my Oct 19 appointment and will stop for night (we usually drive the 15 hour trip in one day) and arrive on Oct 18.

                I'll need to study a little bit. There are 100 possible questions. They only ask 10 of them, and require that 6 are correct. Some are easy; some are more difficult. And, since I don't know which ones I'll be asked, I'd like to be fairly familiar with the answers. Questions include history, government, geography, holidays, rights and responsibilities, principles of democracy. If anyone is curious regarding the questions and answers that us "resident aliens" need to answer, in order to become citizens, go search for "USCIS civics test". If you choose a site that ends in dot gov (.gov), you'll know that you're getting an official government site and not just some knock-off.

                I'll also want to review my 21 page application, because they can ask me questions about my responses on there, and I'll want to be consistent.

                When the process is complete, I will be sworn in and will be a dual citizen.
                ~ Faith
                MSWorld Volunteer -- Moderator since JUN2012
                (now a Mimibug)

                Symptoms began in JAN02
                - Dx with RRMS in OCT03, following 21 months of limbo, ruling out lots of other dx, and some "probable stroke" and "probable CNS" dx for awhile.
                - In 2008, I was back in limbo briefly, then re-dx w/ MS: JUL08
                .

                - Betaseron NOV03-AUG08; Copaxone20 SEPT08-APR15; Copaxone40 APR15-present
                - Began receiving SSDI / LTD NOV08. Not employed. I volunteer in my church and community.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Good luck to you, Faith, and congrats to your daughter!!! What a wonderful accomplishment! (Sorry you have to cram everything into a few days, though)
                  Kimba

                  “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” ― Max Planck

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Thanks Kimba. Roy has off until Monday. But, with a 900 mile drive (1800 round trip), we were hoping for the extra 2 1/2 days that we're losing.
                    Last edited by Mamabug; 09-26-2015, 11:07 AM. Reason: corrected spelling
                    ~ Faith
                    MSWorld Volunteer -- Moderator since JUN2012
                    (now a Mimibug)

                    Symptoms began in JAN02
                    - Dx with RRMS in OCT03, following 21 months of limbo, ruling out lots of other dx, and some "probable stroke" and "probable CNS" dx for awhile.
                    - In 2008, I was back in limbo briefly, then re-dx w/ MS: JUL08
                    .

                    - Betaseron NOV03-AUG08; Copaxone20 SEPT08-APR15; Copaxone40 APR15-present
                    - Began receiving SSDI / LTD NOV08. Not employed. I volunteer in my church and community.

                    Comment

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