Replacing Lost/Stolen Documents

The Office of International Affairs (OIA) may have photocopies of some important immigration, visa, or home country documents on file.  Check with an OIA Adviser if you do not have a photocopy of any missing documents.

If you happen to find the immigration documents for someone else, please bring or send them to OIA. We can reach out the owner of the documents and ensure they get returned.

Follow the instructions under each document heading in order to replace lost or stolen documents:

I-20 or DS-2019

  • I-20/DS-2019 Reprints are provided as a walk-in service at the OIA front desk anytime during regular business hours; no appointment is needed. Make sure to bring a photo ID. If you are no longer in Chicago, you can complete the Reprint Request E-Form and a new document will be sent to you via the mailing method you specify on the form.  If you request express mail, your document will not be sent until you complete the express mailing instructions linked on the form.

Passport

  • Contact or review web site information for your country’s Embassy or Consulate in the United States to find out how to obtain a new passport and to notify the appropriate officials of your missing passport to guard against fraudulent use.
  • Web site addresses for foreign embassies in the U.S. can be found at: http://www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/dpl/32122.htm Links to consular offices in Chicago are usually available from the embassy homepages.
  • If you lose all your photo identification, contact your country’s consulate/embassy to find out what alternate documents you may need.
  • To retrieve a copy the electronic record of your admission, also known as the I-94, you can visit the CBP website.
  • Damaged passport?  See the State Department Passport FAQs for guidance

Visa

  • If the visa stamp bearing your photo and pasted in your passport is lost or stolen, you should contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate that issued your visa to ensure your visa is not used fraudulently by another person. Also inform them if you had any other valid visa, such as a visitor visa.
  •  A visa stamp can only be replaced at a U.S. Consulate/Embassy abroad.
  • Contact information for United States Consulates and Embassies abroad can be found at: http://usembassy.state.gov/.

  • If your visa has been damaged in any way, you will need to reapply for a new visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad.

  • You do not need to have a visa when you are in lawful status in the U.S. A valid visa is required only for entering the U.S.

EAD Card for F-1 Students on OPT

  • Contact your ISA
  • Follow the OPT instructions provided by OIA, including the fee payment, with the following exception:
    • Check box for Replacement of lost Employment Authorization Document at top of Form I-765   

EAD Card for J-2 Dependents

Social Security Card

All documents must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. They will not accept photocopies or notarized copies of documents.  When you apply for a replacement card, you may want to also ask Social Security to review your earnings records to ensure they are correct and that no one else is using your number to work.

* Please note that to apply for a replacement Social Security Card, you have to be eligible for a SSN at that point in time. If you are not eligible for a SSN at that moment, you cannot apply for a replacement card.

Identity Theft 

For more information on Identity Theft, please click here for the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) website.

If you find some of your documents (checks, credit cards, ATM cards, etc.) are stolen, immediately contact your banking institution to cancel or put a temporary hold on any of your accounts.

If you suspect that someone else is using your SSN for work, or you have received notice from the IRS of unreported taxable income that is not yours, you should report the problem to Social Security by calling 1-800-772-1213.  In addition, you may want to check your Social Security earnings record (information online at: www.socialsecurity.gov/statement).

You might want to also consider the following: 

  • Notify the FTC at 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338). Congress has directed the FTC to establish a centralized database to receive all allegations of identity theft and to provide victims with information to help resolve problems with identity theft.
  • File a report with the local police or the police department where the theft took place and keep a copy of the police report as proof of the crime. 
  • Contact the fraud units of the three major credit-reporting bureaus:

You should identify yourself as a possible identity theft victim and request that fraud alerts be placed on your credit records requiring creditors to contact you before approving new credit or making any changes to an existing account.  You may also ask for copies of your credit reports, though there may be a cost associated with this. 

 If you discover that your social security number is definitely being used, social security also recommends that you consider the following: 

  • File an online complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.  The IC3 gives the victims of cyber-crime a convenient and easy-to-use reporting mechanism that alerts authorities of suspected criminal or civil violations. For law enforcement and regulatory agencies at the federal, state, local and international level, IC3 provides a central referral mechanism for complaints involving Internet related crimes. Every complaint is sent to one or more law enforcement or regulatory agencies that have jurisdiction over the matter.
  • Call each creditor to report fraud for any account that has been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
  • Close the credit accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.