What to do if my documents get lost or stolen?
If you lost your documents on campus, we recommend contacting any "lost and found" desk or office in the building or department where you think you lost your passport. If the building’s lost and found does not have your documents, contact campus safety (Department of Public Safety) For general business, please dial x8281, or 610-328-8281 and the Swarthmore Police.
Address: 121 Park Ave, Swarthmore, PA 19081
Hours: Open ⋅ Closes 11PM
Phone: (610) 543-0123
Sometimes, passports found on-campus are delivered to the International Student Center. We always contact the student as soon as possible whenever this occurs. Many times it will go directly to your campus mailbox. If possible, we recommend waiting at least one week before contacting your country's embassy or consulate about replacing your lost passport because it often takes a while for lost documents to be returned to you. If you know that your documents were stolen, make sure to report it to the police as soon as possible and get a copy of the official police report. If your documents are never found, there are different procedures that you must follow to replace each one of the documents you lost:
- To replace your passport, you will need to contact your home country’s embassy or consulate in the U.S. and follow their instructions on what you need to do to obtain a new passport. Contact information can be found at Embassies and Consulates nearest campus. That is usually NYC or DC.
- You cannot replace your visa (a sticker with your photo placed in your passport) while in the U.S. Next time you leave the U.S. (no need to leave just for this), you will need to apply for a new visa at a U.S. consulate abroad. Fortunately, you do not have to have a visa in your passport while you are in the U.S., it is only required for travel. Please see "How can I renew my F or J visa?"
- If you were issued an I-94 when you entered the U.S., you may be able to print a replacement Form I-94 at www.cbp.gov/I94. If you cannot print your replacement I-94, come to the International Center to speak with Jennifer or Ryan. You can request a replacement of your I-20 or DS-2019 from our office by submitting the following forms:
- Request to Replace Lost, Stolen or Damaged I-20 via the ISC portal
Request to Replace Lost, Stolen or Damaged DS-2019 via the ISC portal. - If you are an F-1 student on OPT, and your EAD card was lost/stolen as well, you will have to apply for a replacement card with USCIS. Follow the OPT application instructions Sending Your Complete OPT Application to USCIS provided by the International Center, including the fee payment, with the following exception:
Check box for “Replacement of lost Employment Authorization Document” at the top of Form I-765.
Identity Theft Concerns:
If any of your financial documents (such as credit cards, checks, ATM cards, etc.) were lost/stolen, contact your banking institution to cancel or put a temporary hold on your accounts.
You may want to check your credit report to make sure no one has opened a credit card or other account under your name. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires 3 companies to provide you with one free credit report every 12 months. See the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's web page Fighting Back Against Identity Theft. For a free credit report, go to annualcreditreport.com.
Feel free to email, phone or visit our office if you have further questions.
