Lost Passport - Pls help and give your adivce

D

DeepestTrouble

New Member
I was very excited to receive my citizenship interview letter in the mail today. However, it turned out to be a nightmare when I started to organize my documents and realized that I cannot find my passport. Apparently, I took my passport out last week to buy ticket and took it to my travel agent and now can not find it.

I know I can file a police report and get a new passport but the most difficult thing is that I do not have any other records of my arrival and departure from US.

I have absolutely no idea what to do. I know it sounds so silly to lose one’s passport but do not know how it happened.

Please help by sharing your experience, if anyone has been in this situation before.

DeepestTrouble
 
hi

You do not need passport for interview. I know many people who do not have passports. If they ask you, just explain. I am sure it will not be a problem.
Could you tell me where you filed N-400 (service center)?
I am hoping to get interview letter soon.
 
nonUScitizen said:
You do not need passport for interview. I know many people who do not have passports. If they ask you, just explain. I am sure it will not be a problem.
Could you tell me where you filed N-400 (service center)?
I am hoping to get interview letter soon.
Click to expand...

The IO will almost certainly ASK for your passport. What happens after you tell him you lost it is probably dependent on the mood and flexibility of the IO.
 
No

You are required to have a valid passport if you are here on non-immigrant visa. Permanent residents are not required to have valid passport unless they want to travel abroad. So, that should not be a problem.
IO usually asks for it, particularly if someone stated he traveled a lot. IO wants then to confirm you were in US longer than required for citizenship.
Well, if you were outside far less than required (like most people travel only for a couple of weeks every year), you should not worry at all.
 
nonUScitizen said:
You do not need passport for interview. I know many people who do not have passports. If they ask you, just explain. I am sure it will not be a problem.
Could you tell me where you filed N-400 (service center)?
I am hoping to get interview letter soon.
Click to expand...

I applied for my USC in Vermont Service Center and my local office is NYC. The trouble is that I travelled abroad a couple of times in last 7 years and sometime I was out of US as long as 5 months. If I had my passport with me, I could easily provide proof for any travel dates but without it, I feel helpless. Is there any other way I can get record of my arrival and departure record. I can apply to get a new passport from the embassy of my country but unfortunately that would not show any record of travel.
 
nonUScitizen said:
You do not need passport for interview. I know many people who do not have passports. If they ask you, just explain. I am sure it will not be a problem.
Could you tell me where you filed N-400 (service center)?
I am hoping to get interview letter soon.
Click to expand...
What makes you so sure?
There were several peopel who posted on this board and stated that they were given RFE because they did not bring their passport. It really depends on interviewing officers.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
meant to say

I corrected myself. I meant to say - you are not required to have a passport - I know many people with green card who do not have passports. However, if you do travel a lot ouside of US, you then need to bring it. If you don't, it may look like you are hiding something.
 
If you read the guide to naturalization published by USCIS, you will find that it is required to carry your passport to the interview, "even if it is expired". I am pasting below the relevant instruction for documents to bring for interview from page 36 of the guide.


3. Bring identification
and provide additional
documents if USCIS
requests them
You should bring the following
identification to your interview: (a)
your Permanent Resident or Alien
Registration Card, (b) your passport
(even if it has expired), and (c) any
Re-entry Permits you have.
In some cases, USCIS may ask
you to bring additional documents
to the interview. These documents
will be listed on your appointment
letter. If you don’t bring the
necessary documents, your case
may be delayed or denied. USCIS
strongly recommends that you
also bring 2 additional passportstyle
photographs with you to the
interview.
nonUScitizen said:
I corrected myself. I meant to say - you are not required to have a passport - I know many people with green card who do not have passports. However, if you do travel a lot ouside of US, you then need to bring it. If you don't, it may look like you are hiding something.
Click to expand...
 
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