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Replacing Documents


It is very important to immediately report any lost or stolen documents to the appropriate authorities. If you do not have photocopies of your missing documents, check with OIS as we may have some on file.

GSU Police
  • If you have not already filed a report with the police in the area where your documents were lost or stolen, contact the GSU police at 708.534.4900. 
Passport
  • Contact or review website information for your country's embassy or consulate in the U.S. to find out how to obtain a new passport and to make notification of your missing passport to guard against fraudulent use.
  • Contact information for foreign embassies in the U.S. can be found here. 
  • Website addresses for foreign embassies in the U.S. can be found here.
    • Links to consular offices are usually available from the embassy homepages.
  • If you have lost all your photo identification, contact your country's consulate/embassy to find out what alternate documents you may need. If you are an F-1 student on Post-Completion OPT, it may be a good idea to apply for a replacement EAD card.
Visa
  • If your visa is lost or stolen, you should contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate that issued your F-1, J-1, or H-1B visa to make sure your visa is not used fraudulently by another person.
  • Also inform them if you had any other valid visa, such as a B-1/B-2 visitor visa.  Contact information for U.S. Consulates and Embassies abroad can be found here. 
 
Replacement EAD Card for F-1 Students on OPT
  • Complete an I-765 from the USCIS website 
    • Check box for Replacement EAD
  • Send all required documents and application fee

Replacement Social Security Card

  • Complete an Application For A Social Security Card (Form SS-5) from the Social Security Administration's website.
  • Provide original documents proving your identity
  • Provide original documents proving your current, lawful, work-authorization status
  • Take your completed application and original documents to your local Social Security office. 
The closest Social Security office to GSU is located at:


SOCIAL SECURITY
104 S. HALSTED STREET
CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL 60411


If you suspect someone is using your number, you should take these steps to protect yourself and your financial health:

  1. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (877.438.4338)
  2. File an online complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center here
  3. Check your Social Security records via phone at (1.800.772.1213) to ensure your income is calculated correctly
  4. Monitor your credit reports


Identity Theft Concerns

  • Be sure to check your accounts for any documents stolen (such as credit cards, checks, ATM cards, etc.) and contact your banking institution if necessary to cancel or put a temporary hold on any accounts. You may want to check your credit report to make sure no one has opened a credit card or other accounts under your name and charging purchases in your name. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires three companies to provide you with one free credit report every 12 months. See the following U.S. Federal Trade Commission's web page for more information. To obtain a free credit report, go to this website.  It is especially important to check your credit if your Social Security Card or written Social Security Number was lost or stolen with your identification.