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Q: What is a Permanent Resident Card?
A Permanent Resident Card, commonly known as a Green Card, is evidence of your status as a lawful permanent resident with a right to live and work permanently in the United States. It also is evidence of your registration in accordance with United States immigration laws.
Q: Why do I need a Permanent Resident Card?
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) states that, "Every alien, eighteen years of age and over, shall at all times carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration issued to him.... Any alien who fails to comply with [these] provisions shall be guilty of a misdemeanor" and may be subject to fine and/or imprisonment upon each conviction. The Permanent Residence Card is important not only to establish your identity, but to confer the rights and privileges associated with its status.
Furthermore, if you are a Legal Permanent Resident visiting Guyana, the airlines in Guyana will not board you for return travel to the U.S. without proper documentation. If your Green Card was lost or stolen, you must contact the Embassy to apply for a transportation letter.
Q: I lost my Permanent Resident Card while in Guyana. How do I apply to replace it?
If you are outside the U.S. and have lost your alien registration card, you may apply for a transportation letter. This letter is not a replacement for your green card. It merely allows you to return to the United States, where the application to replace your green card will be processed by your local USCIS District Office in the United States.
The Embassy accepts applications for transportation letters on Mondays only from 1:00-2:00 p.m. There is a US$250 fee associated with this application and the process takes a minimum of 30 days to complete.
Please note that U.S. citizens in Guyana who have lost or have had their passports stolen are not eligible for the transportation letter. Rather, an American citizen may come to the Embassy to apply for a passport to travel back to the United States. The processing time for a passport is ten business days.
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