Before we start, I'd take issue with you saying that it didn't matter when your mother's green card was stolen because she didn't travel. Green cards are extremely important and valuable documents and should be safeguarded at all times. In the event of loss or theft, they should be replaced immediately. Your mother will need to complete an I-90 form to replace her green card, available from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). The form is available on the agency's website at www.uscis.gov, and conveniently, it's one of the ones that can be filed electronically on the website. The cost is $370. Once your form has been received your mother will receive notice by regular mail of an appointment at a USCIS application support center where she'll have her fingerprints taken. It will take several weeks for this to occur. At the appointment she'll have to bring a list of documents, including her passport, marriage certificate, etc. (All of this information is clearly spelled out on the website.) If you have travel plans for the summer your mother should file the I-90 paperwork immediately, as it can take several weeks/months for the new card to arrive. Your mother also has the option of scheduling an appointment at a USCIS district office to receive a temporary stamp in her passport that would prove her permanent resident status for trips abroad. Has your mother considered becoming a U.S. citizen? She's certainly eligible at this stage. All the information she'll need is on the Web site. She'll never need to worry about maintaining a green card again - they must be renewed every 10 years. But citizenship never goes of date.
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