Gurus please help! - Very Strange Letter from NVC

[curiousGeorge]

On Dec 28th 2006 my lawyer got an odd letter from the National Visa Center in Portsmouth, NH. I got the letter today from him. My lawyer told me to simply send him copies of our green cards, but I'm confused why such a letter would even be sent by NVC. What would instigate a letter like this? My wife and I got our green cards in EB3 over 2 years ago in Dec 2004. Has this happened to anyone else? I have not sent any inquiries to USCIS since then. I'm very confused. Does USCIS regularly check if people are still green card holders? They aren't even asking me to prove that I still reside in the USA, so what does having possession of an unexpired green card prove to them? The other strange part is that I filed AOS, not consular processing, so why would NVC be getting involved anyway? Could it be another case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing? Or, is someone else trying to file an inquiry into my green card file? Here are the contents of the letter:

Your inquiry has been received at the National Visa Center (NVC).

The Department of Homeland Security has forwarded your correspondence / information to the NVC.

The NVC received notification that the beneficiary was previously granted legal permanent residence in the United States, however, the notification was unclear as to whether or not the applicant still is a legal permanent resident of the United States. If the beneficiary is still a legal permanent resident of the United States, please provide us with a copy of both sides of the beneficiary's alien registration card ("green card") so that we may update this file.

[curiousGeorge]

I guess I'm the only one who ever got a letter like this. My infamous bad luck I suppose.

[howdy_howdy]

Or is just another cheap trick by USCIS to add up more reponsibilities
to its shoulders & claim that they have more work to do thus
neglecting prospective immigrants?

[howdy_howdy]

Just curious to know!

Did you mention CP in your I140 and changed that to AOS after I140
approval?

[curiousGeorge]

I remember my lawyer specifically asking me if I plan to file consular processing when he was about to file the I-140. We decided to file AOS at that time. I don't recall anything saying that I would be filing for consular processing, and therefor its strange to see it show up in this letter.

[godotwaiting]

My 2 cents
Since you have no violation -- just provide them with what they and forget about it --

[howdy_howdy]

It is possible that someone with the name matching yours could be applying
for GC and that might have alerted USCIS.

OR

You came here on TN visa and became a PR so may be USCIS is doing
a head count on Canadians who became PR's to make sure that they
are actually living in the US.

Anyhow, these are speculations. Let's see if somebody else gets this notice
to arrive at a deduction. OR better yet a memo from USCIS on this kind of
notices.

Good luck
howdy_howdy
//
One thing that surprises me is, if NVC wanted to know if you are still a PR, why the hell they sent the query to your lawyer and NOT to you directly?
Is it hard for NVC to find out your address by looking through the SSN #?
Good that your lawyer knows you and your address so you got to know
of this!!!!

[curiousGeorge]

One thing that surprises me is, if NVC wanted to know if you are still a PR, why the hell they sent the query to your lawyer and NOT to you directly?
Is it hard for NVC to find out your address by looking through the SSN #?
Good that your lawyer knows you and your address so you got to know
of this!!!!

Howdy_howdy,
I agree with you, in fact the lawyer that got the notice was fired by my company, and replaced by a different firm at the 11th hour of my green card process (a month before my EB interview). Taking this into consideration, since the NVC sent the letter to my old lawyer, its possible that they sent the notice to my old address and the NVC just doesn't look at the updated G28 info and the updated AR-11 and latest addresses that were on my case file. So really, its only by luck that I even got this letter.

[curiousGeorge]

My 2 cents
Since you have no violation -- just provide them with what they and forget about it --

Of course, I sent it, do I have a choice? My concern is that if one arm of the government doesn't know what the other is doing, then what else could be screwed up?

And quite frankly an unexpired green card alone, does not prove continued residency. I would think that my passport and exit / entry records, together with proof of residence (like a phone bill) would probably better prove that I am STILL a permanent resident. Had I moved back to Canada my lawyer could have sent the letter to me, and then I could have replied from within the United States back to NVC.

Or was this triggerd by an inquiry into my case, whether internal or external...

[pianoplayer]

On Dec 28th 2006 my lawyer got an odd letter from the National Visa Center in Portsmouth, NH. I got the letter today from him. My lawyer told me to simply send him copies of our green cards, but I'm confused why such a letter would even be sent by NVC. What would instigate a letter like this? My wife and I got our green cards in EB3 over 2 years ago in Dec 2004. Has this happened to anyone else? I have not sent any inquiries to USCIS since then. I'm very confused. Does USCIS regularly check if people are still green card holders? They aren't even asking me to prove that I still reside in the USA, so what does having possession of an unexpired green card prove to them? The other strange part is that I filed AOS, not consular processing, so why would NVC be getting involved anyway? Could it be another case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing? Or, is someone else trying to file an inquiry into my green card file? Here are the contents of the letter:

Your inquiry has been received at the National Visa Center (NVC).

The Department of Homeland Security has forwarded your correspondence / information to the NVC.

The NVC received notification that the beneficiary was previously granted legal permanent residence in the United States, however, the notification was unclear as to whether or not the applicant still is a legal permanent resident of the United States. If the beneficiary is still a legal permanent resident of the United States, please provide us with a copy of both sides of the beneficiary's alien registration card ("green card") so that we may update this file.

Hi:

I honestly think that you are investing far more time and energy into this than is necessary. Send the copies of the GC. Forget about it. This is not anything serious.