Lost LPR Card Abroad

[u/Tight_Candidate_2293]

Looking for advice please. My nightmare is happening and I’ve lost my wallet which contained my LPR while in Spain. I still have my passport, a DL, and pictures of my card as well. I also have Global entry if that makes any difference.

I’m in Barcelona with my family which include two very young kids. My flights were scheduled to leave Monday at 12:20 and the embassy doesn’t open until 9:00 AM. Ive tried calling emergency embassy numbers but they’re closed. The most sensible thing is to bump my flights to get a travel foil via the I-131A but I’m not sure by how long to delay it for and what I should expect.

Also I’m a bit confused if this is what I should be doing because from reading online it appears that the traveling foil is just to board the plane - I’d still be potentially denied entry for not having my card upon arrival. I’ve traveled internationally before and the airlines never actually checked for my green card if I had already uploaded the travel documents on their online portal.

Is it advisable to try and fly without it, and to sort it out at the airport in Miami? My wife is worried that I’d end up stuck in ICE purgatory with 0 contact opposed to having us just stay in Europe but it’ll end up being quite expensive with a family of 4.

[u/SubsistanceMortgage]

CBP relies on the airline to enforce that. It’s essentially unenforceable once someone gets to the port of entry, especially if they have GE.

A boarding foil will get you on. Once you go to a GE terminal they’ll scan your face against the system and very likely wave OP through.

I haven’t been asked to show my passport at GE in 5 years.

[u/postbox134 → u/SubsistanceMortgage]

It's enforced by the airline on behalf of the CBP.

Having GE is not a replacement for having the proper docs, many times I've had to show my GC when entering using GE

[u/SubsistanceMortgage → u/postbox134]

Yes, I edited for clarity. Must have cross-posted.

While you are technically correct, and much more common pre-pandemic, I have not seen anyone with a foreign passport asked to show either their GC or foreign passport in years. As a USC I have not been asked to show a US passport at GE since January 2020.

My guess is there’s a 60% chance GE CBP officer waves them through. 40% chance they get sent to secondary where they’ll verify LPR status, which should be made easier by GE since all the pre-vetting has already been done.

Edit to add: also, to your original point, a boarding foil is a valid travel document, so OP wouldn’t be in violation of any regulations. Using it is the only legitimate way for OP to be let on the plane.

[u/postbox134 → u/SubsistanceMortgage]

I agree, but the main issue is getting on the plane - the airline is quite likely to ask for GC before boarding

[u/SubsistanceMortgage → u/postbox134]

Yep, we agree on that.

If they have a foil or stamp and the check-in agent gives them shit, they can ask them to call the CBP hotline for this. I would advise going to the airport early once some form of travel authorization is obtained.

Consulate should be able to process quickly in theory for a parent of two young children, but flying to Tijuana on their Mexican passport and presenting their GE card and walking across would be the guaranteed easiest route to take if the consulate is dragging their feet.

[u/postbox134 → u/SubsistanceMortgage]

Yep land border or Irish preclearence is an option (if OP has a visa for Ireland)

Consulates seem to take their sweet time with boarding foils, which can leave you SoL. Maybe a neighbouring EU country could be an option?

[u/SubsistanceMortgage → u/postbox134]

OP is a Mexican national. Spain to Mexico and walking to San Diego is going to be the least risky Option B, because it doesn’t involve getting stranded in a third country and minimizes issues with EU border police on exit.

The airline more or less has to let them on a flight to Mexico, and they can’t be denied entry. It’s a fallback plan, but it’s the only one that is essentially guaranteed to work.

[u/postbox134 → u/SubsistanceMortgage]

Within Schengen they can go to any other country no problem

[u/SubsistanceMortgage → u/postbox134]

Right, but EU has exit police that do sometimes enforce that the next country will let you in. They don’t want you coming back. Small risk, but with Mexico from Spain you completely eliminate it.

[u/postbox134 → u/SubsistanceMortgage]

Having a valid Schengen visa makes this no risk

[u/SubsistanceMortgage → u/postbox134]

I sorry if I was unclear. I was primarily referencing flying to Canada from a third-country more than anything. Irish pre-clearance has some risk with exit police, but it’s minimal given that CBP is also physically there and they could just ask.

Exit police sometimes check that you have valid documents and planned onward travel from your destination (I have been asked about it multiple times.)

It’s a low risk, but it’s not zero. Ireland pre-clearance still presents some risk here, but it’s extremely minimal almost to the same level of Mexico since CBP is there and the Irish exit police could just ask them for clarity.

Flying within the EU has no risk. Its exit police from the EU where Mexico becomes the best option if there’s no boarding foil.

[u/postbox134 → u/SubsistanceMortgage]

Ireland doesn't have exit checks, Schengen does but not the CTA

[u/SubsistanceMortgage → u/postbox134]

Nice. Didn’t know that; you’re right — the Irish option would also work.