Traveling While Under Conditional Permanent Residence

[Krikit 1,165]

Thanks Len. Anyone I can call to check and see if it has been sent? Also, when the visa was issued to her by the Embassy there was an expiration date of January 2nd because you have six months to go to USA after the interview has been approved.

Visa doesn't apply any longer. It's been used and is void now.

sister, isn't a CR-1 a multiple entry visa? I thought as much.

D'oh! Scratch that!

[Dakine 26]

Are saying that you don't know if your wife got her green card yet and may have departed the US without it???

"All I saw that she has was a s.s. card and her marriage visa inside her pasport. I didn't see anything else".

[payxibka 10,047]

Thanks Len. Anyone I can call to check and see if it has been sent? Also, when the visa was issued to her by the Embassy there was an expiration date of January 2nd because you have six months to go to USA after the interview has been approved.

Visa doesn't apply any longer. It's been used and is void now.

sister, isn't a CR-1 a multiple entry visa? I thought as much.

nope, one time use, then you get the I-551 (permanent residency)

Are saying that you don't know if your wife got her green card yet and may have departed the US without it???

"All I saw that she has was a s.s. card and her marriage visa inside her pasport. I didn't see anything else".

should have the I-551 stamp in the passport to brdge the gap from arrival at the POE to card production

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Exactly. So when you cross with your CR-1 like I did, they stamp the I-551 there, right?

[chemarc 0]

Are saying that you don't know if your wife got her green card yet and may have departed the US without it???

"All I saw that she has was a s.s. card and her marriage visa inside her pasport. I didn't see anything else".

Yes, she had to leave in an emergency.

[Dakine 26]

Are saying that you don't know if your wife got her green card yet and may have departed the US without it???

"All I saw that she has was a s.s. card and her marriage visa inside her pasport. I didn't see anything else".

Yes, she had to leave in an emergency.

No problem leaving the US without a GC but she isn't coming back without her GC. You'll HAVE to get her GC and get it to her.

Best way is for you to fly it over yourself and not take a chance on the mail or a courier service.

[chemarc 0]

Are saying that you don't know if your wife got her green card yet and may have departed the US without it???

"All I saw that she has was a s.s. card and her marriage visa inside her pasport. I didn't see anything else".

Yes, she had to leave in an emergency.

No problem leaving the US without a GC but she isn't coming back without her GC. You'll HAVE to get her GC and get it to her.

Best way is for you to fly it over yourself and not take a chance on the mail or a courier service.

Thanks. Who can I call to check the status of that? And if its being sent or not?

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

It is possible to return without your green card IF

1) It's a CR1/IR1 visa that was used for initial entry (yes in your case) AND

2) The date of re-entry to the US is not more than 1 year from the initial entry (yes in your case -- she entered in October 08 and is returning in March 09) AND

2) There is an I-551 stamp in the passport, which effectively acts as a temporary GC until the plastic one arrives.

As long as there is that I-551 stamp in her passport, she is fine. Ask her to check if it is there. No need for couriers or flying over there. However, it still should have arrived by now, and you should look into this as a side issue.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

EXACTLY.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

And, as a further dorky side note about I-551s, if for some god-knows-why reason your plastic GC still hasn't arrived after a year, you can have an Infopass appointment and get a new I-551 stamp in your passport, acting as an extension to your temporary GC for another year. Theoretically, if USCIS totally F'ed up and never got you that piece of plastic, you could travel in and out on renewed I-551 stamps until you naturalise or renounce your PR status. Or die!

[payxibka 10,047]

Are saying that you don't know if your wife got her green card yet and may have departed the US without it???

"All I saw that she has was a s.s. card and her marriage visa inside her pasport. I didn't see anything else".

Yes, she had to leave in an emergency.

No problem leaving the US without a GC but she isn't coming back without her GC. You'll HAVE to get her GC and get it to her.

Best way is for you to fly it over yourself and not take a chance on the mail or a courier service.

but she should have the temp stamp in her passport. ... She needs to look in her passport first before I would advise anyone to fly to her ......

And, as a further dorky side note about I-551s, if for some god-knows-why reason your plastic GC still hasn't arrived after a year, you can have an Infopass appointment and get a new I-551 stamp in your passport, acting as an extension to your temporary GC for another year. Theoretically, if USCIS totally F'ed up and never got you that piece of plastic, you could travel in and out on renewed I-551 stamps until you naturalise or renounce your PR status. Or die!

except as in the case of the OP, who is already outside the USA and unable to get to a USCIS office

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Absolutely -- I was just throwing out a hypothetical situation there. Just as another totally OT point, what would happen if your plastic GC didn't arrive in the US while you were out of the country and your I-551 stamp expired (assuming that the trip was one short enough not to require a re-entry permit)? Would you be up sht's creek, or forced to stay outside the US until it did arrive, or could you visit the local consulate for a permit of some sort?

Wow, I'm confusing myself there.

[payxibka 10,047]

Absolutely -- I was just throwing out a hypothetical situation there. Just as another totally OT point, what would happen if your plastic GC didn't arrive in the US while you were out of the country and your I-551 stamp expired (assuming that the trip was one short enough not to require a re-entry permit)? Would you be up sht's creek, or forced to stay outside the US until it did arrive, or could you visit the local consulate for a permit of some sort?

Wow, I'm confusing myself there.

or would a visit to a foreign USCIS office be the answer... IDK

[Dakine 26]

"As long as there is that I-551 stamp in her passport, she is fine. Ask her to check if it is there. No need for couriers or flying over there. However, it still should have arrived by now, and you should look into this as a side issue. "

DITTO!

[chemarc 0]

I just called her. The stamp is in there. It says Dept of Homeland Security: Sept 29, 2008 - Sept 29, 2010. Is that it? I would think that is the two year permanent residence card.