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EAD lost by USPS and must refile/exedite in order to keep job?
Hi, I am going through an awful situation, and am desperate for any advice or help.
I renew my EAD every year, and normally things go smoothly.
This year, knowing that my current EAD expired Sept 4, I filed and renewed on April 20. Normally, this is would have been more than plenty of time.
I received my receipt notice shortly afterwards. Then I received an appointment notice to go in for my biometrics on May 14. Then I received the official Approval Notice on
July 8. I figured the EAD card would follow shortly afterwards.
Online, the USCIS status just said "Card was Mailed To Me" on July 15. It never had a tracking number though. It said if the card hadn't been received by August 15, to submit a request for a new one. I never had any issues receiving the card and since all my other notices and receipts were mailed just fine, I remained optimistic the card would be there soon by around August. Unfortunately, I never did receive it. I called USCIS and had to call several times before finally being transferred to a Level 2 officer that could actually help me. Everyone else just said the same things I could see myself online. This lady gave me a tracking number that claimed it had supposedly been delivered to the mail box July 15!! I called the local post office it had last been at, and they said they did not have it held. Then I went in person, and they claimed their records stated it was delivered and there was nothing they could do. I left voice mails to two local post masters and never got a response. I double checked with the apartment complex office and no one had returned it or anything. I then went back to the post office and wrote out a customer issue notice and I am hoping they look into it more and at least provide me with a letter stating they lost it and it was their fault.
Unfortunately, despite all my receipts, approval notice, and proof that i have done everything right and this is not my fault, my employer will not let me work past the date on my current EAD without the next physical card... At the moment I am going back and forth with HR, stating that my approval notice, which even has the dates I will be eligible for employment for, should be enough for now.
I figured since it does not look like I will be able to track down my lost EAD, I would go back on the USCIS website and submit the request saying it was lost or stolen. It automatically responded to me saying I can expect a response Sept 12... Obviously that is AFTER my current EAD expires, and only a response. So i made an appointment at the local USCIS office to go speak with an immigration officer. He told me that not only was there nothing else they could do on their part, but once I do get a response from USCIS about my lost/stolen card, I will actually have to start over again!! He said I will have to file again, pay the filing fee again, and even have another biometrics appointment and everything again! By the time all that happens, I could most definitely lose my job, as that will take way too long. I have a wonderful career that is hard to find and I would hate to lose... I am extremely frustrated because I did everything right and on time, and even got all other notices in the mail just fine, but now my EAD is lost and its going to cost me dearly.
It seems the only thing I can do now if HR does not accept my Approval Notice, is proceed with starting all over and getting a new one... The immigration officer gave me a paper EAD application to fill out (I normally do it online with my lawyer) and said to mail that in, along with the $380 filing fee. He suggested that that what I can do is write "Expedite Request" on the cover letter, and provide a letter where I state the financial hardship it will cause me, and a letter from my employer where she states the hardship it will be to the company if they lose me. He said that hopefully, if they approve the expedite request, I would get a receipt notice in 1-2 weeks, and then they might contact my employer saying I can work while the card comes in, as waiting for the card will cause the most delay. He said this process should hopefully only be a little over a month, rather than 90 days... Either way, even a month may be too long. I am extremely distressed and in great fear of losing my wonderful career.
Does anyone have any advice at all on how to actually expedite the process? I was reading that many expedite requests are denied... and waiting another 3 months for this card just cant be an option, especially since everything had already been originally done with plenty of time. Also, can I get a fee waiver for this? it seems ridiculous to have to pay for this all over again on top of everything else! Or did anyone else go through something similar and have different luck? I had really been hoping that USCIS could just send me a new card, rather than having me file and wait all over again... But I have tried everything... and feel incredibly hopeless now.
I renew my EAD every year, and normally things go smoothly.
This year, knowing that my current EAD expired Sept 4, I filed and renewed on April 20. Normally, this is would have been more than plenty of time.
I received my receipt notice shortly afterwards. Then I received an appointment notice to go in for my biometrics on May 14. Then I received the official Approval Notice on
July 8. I figured the EAD card would follow shortly afterwards.
Online, the USCIS status just said "Card was Mailed To Me" on July 15. It never had a tracking number though. It said if the card hadn't been received by August 15, to submit a request for a new one. I never had any issues receiving the card and since all my other notices and receipts were mailed just fine, I remained optimistic the card would be there soon by around August. Unfortunately, I never did receive it. I called USCIS and had to call several times before finally being transferred to a Level 2 officer that could actually help me. Everyone else just said the same things I could see myself online. This lady gave me a tracking number that claimed it had supposedly been delivered to the mail box July 15!! I called the local post office it had last been at, and they said they did not have it held. Then I went in person, and they claimed their records stated it was delivered and there was nothing they could do. I left voice mails to two local post masters and never got a response. I double checked with the apartment complex office and no one had returned it or anything. I then went back to the post office and wrote out a customer issue notice and I am hoping they look into it more and at least provide me with a letter stating they lost it and it was their fault.
Unfortunately, despite all my receipts, approval notice, and proof that i have done everything right and this is not my fault, my employer will not let me work past the date on my current EAD without the next physical card... At the moment I am going back and forth with HR, stating that my approval notice, which even has the dates I will be eligible for employment for, should be enough for now.
I figured since it does not look like I will be able to track down my lost EAD, I would go back on the USCIS website and submit the request saying it was lost or stolen. It automatically responded to me saying I can expect a response Sept 12... Obviously that is AFTER my current EAD expires, and only a response. So i made an appointment at the local USCIS office to go speak with an immigration officer. He told me that not only was there nothing else they could do on their part, but once I do get a response from USCIS about my lost/stolen card, I will actually have to start over again!! He said I will have to file again, pay the filing fee again, and even have another biometrics appointment and everything again! By the time all that happens, I could most definitely lose my job, as that will take way too long. I have a wonderful career that is hard to find and I would hate to lose... I am extremely frustrated because I did everything right and on time, and even got all other notices in the mail just fine, but now my EAD is lost and its going to cost me dearly.
It seems the only thing I can do now if HR does not accept my Approval Notice, is proceed with starting all over and getting a new one... The immigration officer gave me a paper EAD application to fill out (I normally do it online with my lawyer) and said to mail that in, along with the $380 filing fee. He suggested that that what I can do is write "Expedite Request" on the cover letter, and provide a letter where I state the financial hardship it will cause me, and a letter from my employer where she states the hardship it will be to the company if they lose me. He said that hopefully, if they approve the expedite request, I would get a receipt notice in 1-2 weeks, and then they might contact my employer saying I can work while the card comes in, as waiting for the card will cause the most delay. He said this process should hopefully only be a little over a month, rather than 90 days... Either way, even a month may be too long. I am extremely distressed and in great fear of losing my wonderful career.
Does anyone have any advice at all on how to actually expedite the process? I was reading that many expedite requests are denied... and waiting another 3 months for this card just cant be an option, especially since everything had already been originally done with plenty of time. Also, can I get a fee waiver for this? it seems ridiculous to have to pay for this all over again on top of everything else! Or did anyone else go through something similar and have different luck? I had really been hoping that USCIS could just send me a new card, rather than having me file and wait all over again... But I have tried everything... and feel incredibly hopeless now.
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