Lost or Stolen Green Card/Boarding Foil

Permanent Resident Alien Registration Cards (commonly known as FormI-551 "green cards") can be issued or replaced only by the United StatesCitizenship and Immigrations Services. The Consulate is unable to issue a replacement green card. If you left your alien registration card in the United States, you should ask friends or relatives there to send you the card by express mail.

If your green card has been lost or stolen, the Consulate may be able to issue you a boarding foil (replacing what previously were travel letters) that would permit you to return to the United States. In order for the Consulate to issue such a foil, the returning resident must be interviewed by a consular officer and must demonstrate their resident alien status.

Important: If you have been outside of the U.S. for more than a year you are not eligible for a boarding foil. Click on the following link formore information: USCIS.gov (PDF 1.2 MB).

To apply for a "boarding foil," please bring the following documents to the U.S. Consulate:

• Evidence of your identity (passport, photo ID)
• Evidence of your U.S. legal resident status (e.g. passport showing admission to the United States as an immigrant) 
• Evidence that you were in the United States within the last 12 months (e.g. your airplane tickets or boarding passes showing your departure from the United States) 
• A completed I-90 Form (PDF 91KB), Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card. For help with this form please see Instructions for the I-90 Form (PDF 63KB). 
• Travel Letter Questionnaire (to be filled out at the Consulate)
• Copy of your report to the police (a First Incident Report, FIR) of the card's loss/theft 
• 1 passport-style photograph (see our photograph requirements)

In order to receive a boarding foil, the LPR will need to come to the U.S. Consulate in Karachi in order to request a boarding foil. To schedule an appointment, they will need to send an email to the Consulate using this link: Contact Us

Important: We cannot process requests on weekends, holidays, or in the evening. Processing time will depend on the circumstances of your case and the amount of information and evidence you provide.

Please note that receiving the boarding foil is a two-step process. The first step is the appointment at the Consulate. After the appointment, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) authorizes or refuses the issuance of the boarding foil. Once DHS authorizes the issuance of the boarding foil, the Consulate prints the boarding foil and sends the foil to the applicant.

Important: The time between appointment and issuance can be up to a month. We cannot expedite this process. Please plan accordingly.