Green card holders now have a mail-in option for receiving proof of lawful permanent residency. Previously, those who had their green card lost, damaged or stolen, or otherwise needed proof of permanent residency, had to schedule an in-person appointment to receive an ADIT stamp, sometimes called an I-551 stamp. Now they can call the USCIS Contact Center to have an officer verify identity and mailing address, and potentially receive the ADIT stamp by courier service.
When lawful permanent residents call the USCIS Contact Center to request temporary evidence of status, an immigration services officer will verify their identity, their physical mailing address, and whether that address can receive UPS or FedEx express mail. They will then either schedule an in-person appointment for the lawful permanent resident, if needed, or submit a request to the USCIS field office to issue the ADIT stamp. If an in-person appointment is not needed, the USCIS field office will review the request for temporary evidence and mail the applicant a Form I-94 with ADIT stamp, DHS seal, and a printed photo of the lawful permanent resident obtained from USCIS systems.
This doesn't mean that all those who request mail service will receive it. Some green card holders will still need to appear in person at a USCIS field office to receive evidence of their status, including those who have urgent needs, do not have a useable photo in USCIS systems, or whose address or identity cannot be confirmed.
The new process will give USCIS the option of issuing evidence of lawful permanent resident status in a timely manner without requiring a scheduled appointment at the field office. The goal is to reduce the burden on applicants and increase availability of USCIS services for other efforts.
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