Replacing Lost, Stolen or Damaged Documents

Please meet with an OIP-ISSS advisor as soon as possible for advising.   OIP-ISSS may have copies of your immigration documents to help facilitate the replacement process.

First, you should file a police report for lost or stolen document, follow the instructions under each document heading in order to replace lost or stolen documents:

I-20, DS-2019, or I-797 Approval Notice (for H-1B, etc.)

• F-1 or J-1 students:  immediately complete the Request to Replace I-20 or DS-2019 form by logging into iPenn using your pennkey and password at https://www.ipenn.oip.upenn.edu.  Upon review and processing, you will receive an email from OIP-ISSS with further instructions. 
• J-1 scholars:  immediately complete the Request to Replace I-20 or DS-2019 form by logging into iPenn using your pennkey and password at https://www.ipenn.oip.upenn.edu.  Upon review and processing, you will receive an email from OIP-ISSS with further instructions. 
• H-1B employees:  immediately contact the OIP-ISSS advisor who handled your case.  OIP-ISSS, as the H-1B petitioner, can request a replacement approval notice.  However, there is a government fee.  See an OIP-ISSS advisor for more details. 
• Other employees:  meet with an OIP-ISSS advisor as soon as possible.

Passport and Visa

Contact or review web site information for your country’s embassy or consulate in the US to find out how to obtain a new passport and to make notification of your missing passport to guard against fraudulent use. 

• Contact information for foreign embassies in the US can be found at: http://www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/fco/. 
• Web site addresses for foreign embassies in the US can be found at: http://www.embassy.org/embassies/. Links to consular offices (the closest is usually in New York City) are usually available from the embassy homepages. 
• If you have lost all your photo identification, contact your country’s consulate/embassy to find out what alternate documents you may need. 

Contact the US embassy or consulate that issued your visa to make sure that your visa is not being used fraudulently.   When you next travel abroad you should obtain a new visa in order to re-enter the US.  Contact information for US consulates and embassies can be found at: http://usembassy.state.gov/.

I-94 Card

Form I-102 is needed to apply for a new I-94 card.  To download the form and instructions, click here.  Consult an OIP-ISSS advisor for advising as you are required to carry your I-94 card with you at all times.

EAD Card for F-1 Students on OPT

Form I-765 is needed to apply for a replacement EAD card for OPT.  Follow the OPT instructions provided by OIP-ISSS, including the fee payment, with the following exceptions:

• Check box for Replacement of lost Employment Authorization Document at top of Form I-765 
• Send photocopies of all I-20s and a (copy of) new I-20 with current OPT recommendation, in addition to the other documents required.

Social Security Card

You will need new documents and current authorization for work in the US in order to apply for a new Social Security Card.  If you think somebody is using your Social Security Number, call the Social Security Administration at (800) 772-1213.

Note: If you already have a Social Security Number, you usually do not need to show it to anyone.  Generally, you only need to know the number for tax filing purposes and for providing to your employer.  If you do not know your number, you should check with any previous employers, schools, or other institutions (such as your bank) that may have it on record, or on copies of tax forms you previously filed.

Identity Theft Concerns

Be sure to check your accounts for evidence that any stolen documents (such as credit cards, checks, ATM cards, etc.) are being used, and contact your banking institution if necessary to cancel or put a temporary hold on any accounts.

You may want to check your credit report to make sure no one has opened a credit card or other account under your name (usually with a different address) and is charging purchases in your name.  The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires 3 companies to provide you with one free credit report every 12 months. (See the following US Federal Trade Commission web pages for more information: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/, http://www.ftc.gov/freereports).  It is especially important to check your credit if your Social Security Card (or written Social Security Number) was lost or stolen with your identification.

If you have not already filed a report with the police in the area where your documents were lost or stolen, contact the Penn Police to file a report.  The Penn Police may be able to provide you with additional information and resources.