Lost or Expired Green Card (I-551 Alien Registration Card)

The Consular Section in Yerevan cannot replace a lost or expired green card in Armenia. To replace or renew your green card, you must return to the U.S., contact the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, and apply for a new green card by completing form I-90. Depending on how long you have been outside of the United States, the Consular Section may be able to provide you with a so-called transportation letter in order to return to the United States, as explained below.

If you have been outside the United States for less than one year

If you have been outside of the United States for less than one year, you may be able to return to the United States with a transportation letter. You should come to the Consular Section during American Citizen Services hours (Monday – Friday, from 1:30 – 4:30 pm) and fill out an application for a transportation letter. To complete the application, you will need to have a valid passport and proof of when you left the United States (such as a boarding card from your flight). If your green card was stolen or lost, you will need to provide a copy of the police report for your missing card. There is a non-refundable $165 fee for the transportation letter application, payable at the Consular Section. Transportation letter requests are sent to the USCIS office in Moscow, Russia for verification of status and approval. The approval process takes from two to three weeks, but some cases have taken much longer. You should not make any travel plans until your transportation letter application has been approved. If the application is approved, you then will have to provide three passport-sized (5cm X 5cm) photos for the transportation letter.

If you have been outside the United States for over one year

If you have been outside the United States for over one year, you need to apply for a returning resident visa in order to determine if you still have legal status in the United States. You may come to the Consular Section during American Citizen Services hours (Monday – Friday, from 1:30 – 4:30 pm) to complete the application – "DS-117 Application to Determine Returning Resident Status." There is a non-refundable $400 fee for the returning resident application, payable at the Consular Section. After you submit your application, the Consular Section will investigate your case to determine whether you still have a claim to legal permanent resident status in the United States. If you do qualify for returning resident status, you then will have to pay the $400 immigrant visa fee to be re-issued your immigrant visa to return to the United States.

Refugee Documents

Please note that the Consular Section in Yerevan does not replace lost or expired refugee transportation documents. If you have lost your refugee transportation document, or it has expired, the Consular Section can provide you the contact information for the USCIS office in Rome, Italy, which can supply you with a replacement document. Please either come to the Embassy during American Citizen Services hours, or email us at ACSYerevan@state.gov to receive the contact information.