Appropriate time to shred immigration documents

D

Dedo

Registered Users (C)
Hello - I have been in this country for 18 years (all legal) and recently got my GC. I was going over the stacks of approval notices and immigration paperwork that I have acquired during the years and was wondering when I would liberate myself of this paperwork without fear of "needing it" sometime.

What are the rules around keeping immigration documents?

1) Upon getting a GC, can I get rid of all my NIV documents and approval notices or is that not a good idea?
2) Can I get rid of them after acquiring Citizenship?

Just wondering....
Thanks
 
If I were you I would never ever shred my immigration and citizenship paperwork. Considering the fact that USCIS has a record of ocassionally misplacing files, IMHO immigration and citizenship documents (and paperwork) should be retained for life. I am maintaining a file for my green card paperwork and another for naturalization.

I also have an ongoing project of scanning critical documents, saving to a DVD and mailing copies to my parents who live away from me.
 
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I have kept the real important ones. I would advise you to do the same. You never know when you might need them.

Dedo said:
1) Upon getting a GC, can I get rid of all my NIV documents and approval notices or is that not a good idea?
2) Can I get rid of them after acquiring Citizenship?
Click to expand...
 
When is it an appropriate time to shred them? The later of:

(1) your death
(2) your spouse and all your children became citizens and obtained proof of their citizenship.
 
Shred things like receipt notices, etc now.

make electronic copies of NIV approval notices to your computer and then shred all paper.

Keep copies (paper or electronic) of approval notices for labor certification, I-140, I-485 until you get citizenship.
 
when you become USC and have your naturalization certificate and US passport, you can shred all your old docs.
 
bestpal said:
when you become USC and have your naturalization certificate and US passport, you can shred all your old docs.
Click to expand...

That's what I would have thought (I may never shred them but at least throw them in the basement and not worry about every piece of paper).

But folks on this forum seem to think that it should never be shred. Really, I am curious, under what circumstances would a citizen need to worry about old h1, F1, OPT, AP, EAD, and GC, docs? I am just trying to see if anyone ever needed them
 
Dedo said:
That's what I would have thought (I may never shred them but at least throw them in the basement and not worry about every piece of paper).

But folks on this forum seem to think that it should never be shred. Really, I am curious, under what circumstances would a citizen need to worry about old h1, F1, OPT, AP, EAD, and GC, docs? I am just trying to see if anyone ever needed them
Click to expand...

I really don't see the point in keeping expired EADs, H1Bs, F1, I-94s, GC or N-400 application copy and other non essential immigration documents after becoming a US citizen other than for commemorative reasons. If anything, scan them and store them digitally before you destroy them.
 
I should start scanning my immigration journey documents .. It would be big project lasting a few weekends .
 
bestpal said:
when you become USC and have your naturalization certificate and US passport, you can shred all your old docs.
Click to expand...
Suppose they go on another mass denaturalization drive years into the future, saying you lied about something in your immigration processes. Or you end up in a situation like that guy a few weeks ago on this forum where the system says you are not a citizen even after you took the oath. If you have the documents, you're in a better position to defend yourself.
 
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