Destroyed Passport with I-551 Stamp Abroad

[maruska&chris 7]

Hello,

 

I am not sure who to contact about this situation. 

 

As a permanent resident of the United States, I am currently waiting on removing my condition and receiving a new green card. I am also currently in the Czech Republic because of my family situation. 

 

I plan on going back to the United States in June. Since I am waiting on my new green card, I obtained an I-551 stamp in my passport.

 

Unfortunately, my dog chewed my passport and I think I will not be able to use it when I fly to the States. It's not bad, but I don't think they would say it's valid documentation.

I will have to apply for a new passport, which would not be a big problem if I did not have the I-551 stamp in my current one. 

 

Is it possible to obtain a new I-551 stamp at the embassy? And if not, what is my option? 

 

I appreciate your help in this situation. 

 

[Lil bear 3,831]

1 minute ago, maruska&chris said:

Hello,

 

I am not sure who to contact about this situation. 

 

As a permanent resident of the United States, I am currently waiting on removing my condition and receiving a new green card. I am also currently in the Czech Republic because of my family situation. 

 

I plan on going back to the United States in June. Since I am waiting on my new green card, I obtained an I-551 stamp in my passport.

 

Unfortunately, my dog chewed my passport and I think I will not be able to use it when I fly to the States. It's not bad, but I don't think they would say it's valid documentation.

I will have to apply for a new passport, which would not be a big problem if I did not have the I-551 stamp in my current one. 

 

Is it possible to obtain a new I-551 stamp at the embassy? And if not, what is my option? 

 

I appreciate your help in this situation. 

 

This can be a very challenging situation.. there was a recent thread on a similar situation.. I believe the passport was lost or stolen.. do a vj search .. there was a very clear step by step post on the options. 

[maruska&chris 7]

4 minutes ago, Lil bear said:

This can be a very challenging situation.. there was a recent thread on a similar situation.. I believe the passport was lost or stolen.. do a vj search .. there was a very clear step by step post on the options. 

Thank you! 
If someone finds the link, please put it here. I appreciate it. 

[mindthegap 2,521]

Is the stamp damaged, or just the main bit of the passport (ie, the bio page)?

If you get a new passport, an undamaged stamp should still be valid in the old passport when presented at the same time. 

 

 

You cannot obtain a 551 stamp overseas. Therefore the only other option you would have is to visit a US embassy and get a transportation letter/boarding foil (I-131A), which costs something like $600 and is single use, but will permit you to board a carrier to the US.

You could also fly to say, Toronto and enter via a land crossing with a probably lengthy visit to secondary while they verify your status and then give you some attitude for making them do some work.

Edited February 26, 2019 by mindthegap
wrong cost

[Hypnos 6,576]

You would likely need to file an I-131A at your nearest US embassy or foreign post. The filing fee is $575.

 

https://www.uscis.gov/i-131a

Edited February 26, 2019 by Hypnos

[maruska&chris 7]

21 minutes ago, Hypnos said:

You would likely need to file an I-131A at your nearest US embassy or foreign post. The filing fee is $575.

 

https://www.uscis.gov/i-131a

Thank you, guys. I appreciate it. 

That is not very good news  
So much money for nothing.. again. 

Thank you though!!

[geowrian 22,335]

21 hours ago, maruska&chris said:

So much money for nothing.. again. 

The price is high, and I agree it is to the point of being absurd for a single-use document just to get on a plane to the US. If it covered an actual replacement green card then it wouldn't be as bad, but this is just a boarding document. It should be $50 - $75 tops - IMHO - to verify who you are and issue a document. Even that is high, but much more reasonable for the amount of time spent on their part and materials/handling/etc.

 

But it's not for nothing...it's not like somebody maliciously stole your passport or destroyed it. The dog damaged it. That would only be the case if it was left somewhere that the dog could get to it. It's a very important document that is your responsibility to maintain and secure, especially while abroad. This is just the consequence.

Edited February 27, 2019 by geowrian

[bmqsg5h3 12]

I-131A Instruction says:
If you have an expired Green Card, you may not need to file Form I-131A. Although regulations generally require an LPR to travel with a valid Green Card, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) policy permits a transportation carrier bound for the United States to allow you to board without carrier documentation if you:
...
Are an LPR who has an expired Green Card with a two-year expiration date and you also have Form I-797, Notice of Action, showing that you filed a Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, or Form I-829, Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status (and you have been outside of the U.S. for less than a year). The Notice of Action extends the validity of the card for a specified length of time, generally one year;
https://www.uscis.gov/i-131a

 

You have your two-year green card and I-751 receipt notice (I-797), don't you? Do you really need an I-551 stamp on your passport?

[Hypnos 6,576]

From their timeline I'm thinking the OP may only have received a 12 month extension letter through their I-751 and not a new 18 month extension, and a 12 month extension would likely have expired by now.