The procedure on how to deal with a lost travel document – be it your passport, or your I-94 card or your H1-B visa papers – is quite well documented. The few most important things you need to be aware of at the outset are:

• Unfortunately, there is no way of replacing lost or stolen visas from within the U.S itself. You will necessarily need to travel to the U.S consulate in your home country where you obtained your visa and get a replacement for the same. However, you will need your passport and I-94 card before you can travel to your home country. Replacements for both these documents can be obtained within the U.S itself as described below.
• Search properly to make sure that the passport and visa are indeed lost. Once reported as lost, even if you find the documents later, they will have to be re-issued a new.
• On the whole, the entire process can take as long as a month or two.

Here we examine the steps you need to take immediately, in the order specified below,to ensure recovery of your lost papers.

1. File a Police Report

The first thing you need to do as soon as you realize that your passport is lost or stolen is to head to the nearest police station and file a report. Do carry copies of your passport and I-94 cards if you do have them. This greatly aids in their recovery as well as checks that the police officers need to do before processing you request. The police will then issue a detailed report indicating all the circumstances of the incident. This will be the basis of your further action. You will need to keep a copy of this police report.

2. Request a replacement of your I-94

The next step of the process is to file an I-102 form, that is an Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The application form itself is found at the website of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Note that submission of this form requires an application fee of $330. This will initiate the process of replacement of your I-94 card which you need before you can travel out of the country.

3. Getting your Passport Replaced from your Embassy

The next step in the process is to notify your country’s embassy of the lost passport, requesting a replacement of the same as soon as possible. You may need to file a copy of the police report along with your request or application. Most countries’ embassies have websites detailing the steps needed for recovery of one’s lost passport. This step may take time based on how expediently your embassy is able to process such requests. You might have to allow for as much as a month before your passport is re-issued.

4. Applying for your Replacement Visa

This is the most arduous step in the entire process. You will need to travel to your home country! Note that you will need to wait till the replacements of your passport and I-94 come through from your country’s embassy and the DHS, respectively, before you can travel out of the U.S. In order to speed up the process of reissue of your visa, contact the U.S consulate at your home country, notifying them of your lost documents. Substantiate your claim by faxing or emailing them a copy of the police report and a copy of the lost passport and visa papers if available, or at least the passport number from the lost visa.

You will then need to travel to your home country, and re-apply for your visa, providing a written report detailing the circumstances in which you lost your passport, along with a copy of the police report for the same.

Did you or your friend lost your passport? Did you had to go through any  steps other than those mentioned in the article? Please share your experience with our readers. Comment or write us to [email protected]