3 years after naturalization, found greencard in my wallet! What to do?

R

rachenko

Registered Users (C)
It's been a little over 3 years since my naturalization ceremony.
Everything went smoothly and I got my US passport three weeks
later.

Just before the ceremony started, I remember the USCIS workers
lining everybody up and asked us to turn in our greencards.
I turned it in like everyone else. Or at least I thought I did. Until
this morning.... :(

My very nice Coach wallet had served me well for 10 years and
it was time to replace it. So guess what? I bought another
identical one from Coach.(except price for the new one has now
doubled to $230 :mad: )

Anyway, I took out everything in the old wallet this morning and
out came my greencard, which was in the innermost pocket,
behind a family photo. I keep a lot of old junk in the wallet,
there was even a subway ticket from 2003... At the same time,
I discovered that my national ID card from my old country was
missing. ID card no longer valide, since I became a US citizen
and my country of origin legally considers me a "nationality
abandoner"(in local lanuge, the same word as involuntary
traitor :( )

If I had to guess, I turned the national ID card in by mistake and
the USCIS worker didn't realize it. It was a chaotic naturalization
ceremony at the local USCIS office, with 150 people, all walking
around like headless chickents..... so in the confusion, they must
have not checked every returned greencard.

WHAT DO I DO NOW? It has been 3 years and I have made many
overseas trips and returned with my US Passport with any problems.
Should I still contact my the USCIS and return the card? I have
since moved to another state 1900 miles away from that USCIS office.
Can I just contact the nearest one here?

Thanks in advance for your advice! :)


* * * UPDATED INFO * * *
after speaking with agent this morgen, I was advised to return the greencard anyway.
I have already dispatched it via USPS Registered Mail with Return Receipt this afternoon.
(mailed to the original office) Guess that's that! :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
First of all, don't panic ;) You are a US citizen, not a permanent resident. The only thing they do with the GC as far as I know is destroy them. You have 3 choices, and I don't think any of them has much more merit than the others:
1. Keep it as a memento
2. Destroy it yourself
3. Go to the local USCIS, explain what happened and hand over the GC.

I think I'd like to keep the GC as a memento.
 
Keep it as souvirnir.

Now it is time everyone take a second look at hios wallet to see if his GC is still there.
 
okay... I'm not going to panic.... almost a million people become citizens every year in the USA,
so I can't be the only one who is in this situation, right? :)

I dont' really care to keep it as a souvenir... the picture was super unflattering.... I have my
US passport, which is the best! :) (although my country of origin's passport gets 2 extra countries
for visa free visits :( )
 
WBH said:
Keep it as souvirnir.

Now it is time everyone take a second look at hios wallet to see if his GC is still there.
Click to expand...

My wife and I moved into a new apartment a couple of months ago, so I was going through the contents of a box that contained old documents. Among the junk, I found my original GC, the pink laminated card with a blue line at the top. I was 13 years old at the time I got it, so I'm definitely keeping it as a souvenir!
 
I think USCIS would make a lot of money if they had a fee to allow you to keep your green card.

I understand why they want it back, it makes sense. But I'll be damned if I wouldn't want to keep it as a souvenir. It holds a lot of memories.
 
nkm-oct23 said:
Maybe they should charge $175 (like the Indian government) to "renounce" GC!!
Click to expand...

Don't wish it even on your enemies. Getting GC was hard enough for most people.
However, in the spirit of your comments, they would have to suddenly stop naturalizations, say they want surrender certificates, then ask everyone who ever naturalized to pay up, and so on ...
 
Minor childrens of Naturalized US citizen parents automatically become US citizens (if they are in US and have GC). So when these minor children apply for US passport, they send in their GC with parent(s) natz certificate and they get back their US passport and their GC. So if they get to keep thier GC, why not you.
 
rpranesh said:
Minor childrens of Naturalized US citizen parents automatically become US citizens (if they are in US and have GC). So when these minor children apply for US passport, they send in their GC with parent(s) natz certificate and they get back their US passport and their GC. So if they get to keep thier GC, why not you.
Click to expand...

I believe these children still need to surreender their GC if they go for certificate of citizenship
 
after speaking with agent this morgen, I was advised to return the greencard anyway.
I have already dispatched it via USPS Registered Mail with Return Receipt this afternoon.
(mailed to the original office) Guess that's that! :)
 
so much for doing the right thing... :D

I sent the greencard back last month.

Yesterday, it was mailed back to me. The USCIS included a letter
that basically said they had no idea what to do with it. :confused::mad::(:eek:
 
rachenko said:
so much for doing the right thing... :D

I sent the greencard back last month.

Yesterday, it was mailed back to me. The USCIS included a letter
that basically said they had no idea what to do with it. :confused::mad::(:eek:
Click to expand...


Well..since your country consider you to be a traitor, I too do consider you to be such.....lol!!! Arizona Hispanic communities could have used your Greencard before the bigots take over on July 31st...lol!!! You should have kept it as a reminder of the scar of war...
 
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