Lost an immigration document w instructions. What are my options?
July 18, 2017 10:42 AM Subscribe
(Asking on behalf of a friend.) In the process of applying for a visa to remain in the US, I was sent a list of documents to mail back. I have lost the list. I'm supposed to mail the documents by the end of this month (!). Short of magically finding the list, what are my options? Would USCIS be able to send me another copy of the list on short notice?
I wouldn't give up on USCIS (or whomever provided you the list) being able to send you a replacement. They should have a general email box - you should write them first, and then strategize about a plan B while you wait for a response. I'm positive that you aren't the first person who's lost track of their requirements letter.
posted by exutima at 11:11 AM on July 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by exutima at 11:11 AM on July 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
Have your case number or identifying details handy and call the National Customer Service Center and ask for help.
If you know your visa type (H1, H4, etc.) you can probably Google what you are supposed to bring, but USCIS is very particular and it's better to get it straight from the horse's mouth.
posted by blnkfrnk at 11:15 AM on July 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
If you know your visa type (H1, H4, etc.) you can probably Google what you are supposed to bring, but USCIS is very particular and it's better to get it straight from the horse's mouth.
posted by blnkfrnk at 11:15 AM on July 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
It sounds like this may be in response to a "request for evidence" from USCIS, which (if I am correct) means it isn't something standard your friend could just look up online by visa type. Calling the customer service center with the case number seems like their best bet.
posted by karbonokapi at 4:59 PM on July 18, 2017
posted by karbonokapi at 4:59 PM on July 18, 2017
I would call the USCIS folks - they may be surprisingly helpful. But it's kind of a crap shoot: some things are stored electronically in a centralized system and some things just aren't.
It might also make sense to send a letter to make sure that you have a paper trail. If you respond to the RFE but fail to include all the requested evidence, they should technically send you another RFE with a list of the evidence that is still missing. If you fail to respond to the RFE, your application would be deemed abandoned (which would mean lost application fees and maybe a loss of immigration status). But you'd need to send it to the right place as indicated on the RFE (which may not be where you filed originally). I think the USCIS folks should at least be able to tell you where the case is being processed (assuming you have the case number) and the address that things should be sent to.
posted by yonglin at 5:23 PM on July 18, 2017
It might also make sense to send a letter to make sure that you have a paper trail. If you respond to the RFE but fail to include all the requested evidence, they should technically send you another RFE with a list of the evidence that is still missing. If you fail to respond to the RFE, your application would be deemed abandoned (which would mean lost application fees and maybe a loss of immigration status). But you'd need to send it to the right place as indicated on the RFE (which may not be where you filed originally). I think the USCIS folks should at least be able to tell you where the case is being processed (assuming you have the case number) and the address that things should be sent to.
posted by yonglin at 5:23 PM on July 18, 2017
Response by poster: I posted an update in metatalk. We sent the evidence along with a brief letter explaining that we'd lost the RFE document. USCIS accepted the evidence, and we're on to the next step.
posted by your hair smells like cheese! at 9:22 AM on September 1, 2017
posted by your hair smells like cheese! at 9:22 AM on September 1, 2017
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posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:44 AM on July 18, 2017