Hi!
It was more than a month since I sent my I-751 (for me and my older son). So my son received a notice 2 weeks ago but I did not receive mine. Beautiful. So I called USCIS today and they told me like my case was received, is pending now bla bla bla … and they cannot do anything about the fact I do not have the receipt letter. He asked me like ‘when my GC expires’? So I told him end of March 2007. As a result he advised me to make an info pass appointment at my local USCIS office some 7 days prior expiration date. This is just great!
I desperately need this receipt because of my job I have got, nobody is going to wait another 3-4 weeks ...
Do you think I should make that appointment sooner, maybe in a week from now (if I do not get the receipt by then)?

Honey,

Go ahead and do what you think is right. If you have doubts about INS knowing what they are doing - you are most likely right!

Their thinking there is probably the same as in the auto industry - namely, "that is not my f.u.c.k.i.n.g car" - why do I care about that?

Honey: You do not need an updated green card or other confirmation from USCIS for your job. As a permanent resident, you should have an unrestricted social security card. Show your unrestricted social security card and your driver license to update your I-9 at work, and you will be okay.

Remember, your employer cannot specify which documents you provide to show employment eligibility. So long as the documents you show meet the legal requirements as specified on the I-9, you can show whichever combination of documents you desire.

I know - but they want to specify when my GC expires and they also request at least 6 months of remaining valid work permit. They actually want to see my GC, unfortunately. It puts me in some magic circle here …

Honey: Your employer cannot demand any such thing.

You are responsible for completing an I-9, and ensuring that it is up-to-date as concerns valid employment eligibility. In order to do this, YOU (not your employer) have a choice of which documents to present. As a permanent resident, with an unrestricted social security card, you are able to show, for example, your driver license and your social security card. That is all the employment authorization that is legally required.

You are a permanent resident, albeit in conditional status at this time. Once your I-751 is submitted, your status is automatically extended pending adjudication. Your receipt will hopefully arrive with you soon, but in the meantime, all you are required to do is update your I-9 in the manner described.

A word of advice: in future, don't use your green card for employment verification purposes...this just complicates things once the card expires (as in your case). Use your driver license and social security card, as you're entitled to do. Then, the only indication of your immigration status on the I-9 is when you check the "permanent resident" box, but it doesn't put an expiration date on your I-9.

Go to the USCIS website and download an I-9 and read the instructions regarding acceptable documents and the employers inability to influence which documents you present.