Lost I-130 Approval? Use USCIS's I-824 Application for Action to Get New Copy

Have you lost the approval notice that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued in response to an I-130 family-based immigrant petition or other immigration application filed on your behalf or by you? Or perhaps you never received the USCIS notice at all, despite USCIS records showing that it was sent to you. The I-130 approval is an important document to have in your records and to use in moving forward with your immigration plans, as described below. So, you might need to use USCIS Form I-824 to ask the agency to send you a new notice, the procedures for which we also discuss below.

Why Having a Physical Copy of USCIS Approval Notices Can Be Important

USCIS often asks people to submit copies of the approval notices it issued them as part of an immigration process. For example, after USCIS approves the initial Form I-130 for a family-based immigrant, if that person is in the United States and eligible to adjust status here, they would need to attach a copy of the I-130 approval to the adjustment of status packet before mailing it to USCIS.

You might think USCIS could look up the I-130 approval on its own. However, the agency is rarely willing to do that. With Form I-824, you can ask to receive your own copy of the approval notice to replace the one that has been lost or gone missing.

Other Uses of Form I-824 for Would-Be U.S. Immigrants

Below are other situations in which someone might need to file USCIS Form I-824 to request agency action or to notify it of important developments in their case:

• To request that a different U.S. consulate receive notice of USCIS's approval of a nonimmigrant visa petition or waiver request (for example, if you have moved to another country since the original visa petition was filed).
• To notify a U.S. consulate that you have successfully adjusted status to permanent resident in the United States, thus allowing your family members to apply to a consulate for derivative immigrant visas from overseas.
• To request that USCIS send your approved I-130 petition to the Department of State's National Visa Center (NVC). This is mainly useful if you had originally been planning to adjust status in the United States—that is, apply for your green card without leaving the country, probably because you are legally living there—but you have changed plans, and will now use the overseas consular processing procedure instead.

Preparing and Submitting Form I-824 to USCIS

Form I-824 (available for free download at uscis.gov) asks for basic application information including your name, employer, contact information, country of birth, country of citizenship, and identifying numbers. You will need to attach various documents to help USCIS locate and confirm its original approval of your petition, such as copies of the original I-130 petition or application or a copy of the receipt notice (Form I-797) that USCIS sent soon after accepting the I-130 for processing.

You will also need to pay the latest fee, which for most people is $590 (2026 figure). Exemptions are available in some cases, such as if you have been granted T or U visa status (as a trafficked person or crime victim) or are self-petitioning based on VAWA (abuse). Always doublecheck the USCIS Fee Schedule before filing, since fees are adjusted (usually upward) fairly regularly.

Your options for paying include by credit card (using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions) or by transfer from a U.S. bank (using Form G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions). (As of October 28, 2025, applicants can no longer pay by money order, personal check, or cashier’s check, in accordance with USCIS's change in policy.)

Your completed Form I-824 must be sent by mail to the USCIS lockbox indicated in the agency's online instructions to the form. You can request that you receive an email or text message saying that the form has been received at USCIS by completing Form G-1145 and attaching it to the front page of your application.

Form I-824 Cannot Be Used to Request Replacement Cards

The only type of document USCIS can send you after you successfully file Form I-824 is a copy of an approval notice. You can't request any actual replacement cards using this process.

For example, if you have lost your green card, you must apply for a replacement by instead filing and paying the fees for USCIS Form I-90. And a replacement work permit card (employment authorization document) must be requested by refiling USCIS Form I-765 (and paying the filing fee all over again).

You Might Want a Lawyer's Help

Deciding whether you need to file Form I-824 is a good question to ask an immigration attorney. Don’t spend the money on filing Form I-824 if you aren't sure you need it, or that it's the appropriate form to use for a particular situation. The attorney can also help you prepare the form, draft an explanatory cover letter, and monitor USCIS's progress on your immigration matter.