GC approved but lost re-entry permit

[vmehend]

Hello,

here is a complex situation. Our GC was approved and we had applied for re-entry permit before coming to India. Lawyer informed us later that re-entry permit approval has come. When we sent a friend to collect it, we were told that they have lost approval letter during moving the office.

Lawyer requested for a duplicate copy but USCIS rejected it saying that one has to apply again for the re-entry permit. we have to spend all that money again so that GC money can be saved.

now, we are in India and lawyer says he cannot do much because it requires our presence there for fingerprinting. Lawyer says one has to do it from here in India - US embassy.

our point is - why should we bear the cost again ?

question - if we enter US without re-entry permit but with a letter from lawyer describing above ,i s it good enough ?

can we get visitor or busiiness visa though we hv GC ?

please help.

[JoeF]

You can only apply for a reentry permit while in the US.

As for the cost, that's something you may have to discuss with your lawyer. USCIS didn't lose the permit, your lawyer did.

A letter from the lawyer at the POE doesn't mean anything.

If you have been outside the US for over one year, you can not use the GC to enter.

If you use a visitor visa, you essentially telling the authorities that you abandoned the GC.

Why did you even have the reentry permit sent to the lawyer? USCIS can send it to a consulate, where you could have picked it up...