Its so important to keep safe, organized official personal documents. I'm learning this slowly. Its hard if you've been sort of a nomad. Like the DMV, the INS is also a good teacher. There is no grace period. I need to get organized with my health records too. I have lost track of immunizations.
I look at the bureaucratic line as a sort of outward bound ropes course. You know it will be a gauntlet going in, so work towards a resilient, stubborn, unfrustratable, and unrelenting mindset. It serves you to be as un-impassioned, direct as possible. And when the shit really goes down, begging seems to work better than shouting.