U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that lawful permanent residents (LPRs) may receive temporary evidence of their LPR status by mail rather than physically visiting a field office to receive an Alien Documentation, Identification and Telecommunication (ADIT) stamp (also known as an I-551 stamp) on their Form I-551.
LPRs are entitled to evidence of status and may require temporary evidence of their status in the form of an ADIT stamp if:
- They do not have their Green Card; or
- Their Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Green Card), Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, or Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, is still pending adjudication and their Green Card and extension notice have expired.
When LPRs call the USCIS Contact Center to request temporary evidence of status, an immigration services officer will verify their identity, their physical mailing address, and whether that address can receive UPS or FedEx express mail. They will then either schedule an in-person appointment for the LPR, if needed, or submit a request to the USCIS field office to issue the ADIT stamp. If an in-person appointment is not needed, the USCIS field office will review the request for temporary evidence and mail the applicant a Form I-94 with ADIT stamp, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seal, and a printed photo of the LPR obtained from USCIS systems.
USCIS may issue temporary evidence of status in the form of an ADIT stamp. USCIS determines if the requestor should receive an ADIT stamp and has the discretion to determine the validity period based on the LPR’s situation (not to exceed one year, unless specified otherwise by regulation or policy). Some LPRs will still need to appear in person at a USCIS field office to receive temporary evidence of their status, including those who have urgent needs, do not have a usable photo in USCIS systems, or whose address or identity cannot be confirmed.
This new process will allow USCIS to issue temporary evidence of LPR status in a timely way without requiring a scheduled appointment at the field office, thereby reducing the burden on applicants and increasing its availability of field office resources.
If you have any questions about this policy update, contact our office to set up a consultation with one of our attorneys today!
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