GC Extension notice and my mortgage...

[lgg 2]

Hi everyone! Thanks for your response with my query as to why this was taking so long. I have another question -- we are in the process of purchasing a house and we have sent in all my removal of conditions forms, they were sent in 5 months ago. So now... I have my expired green card and my letter of extension. Our loan is JUST coming out of underwriting and in QC and they have finally asked for a copy of my GC. I was wondering as to why they had not right at the start. Anyway... is a copy of my GC and a copy of my extension letter going to be okay, do you think? anyone else have to go through this?

Any other stories would be appreciated -- just wish my CG would get here already. So long and now that we're buying a house, we have even MORE evidence of a bonified marriage. Thanks a lot, everyone

[nickbits 43]

Why do they need your GC for a mortgage? But in any case, extension letter should be fine.

[grrrrreat 109]

Why do they need your GC for a mortgage? But in any case, extension letter should be fine.

If you are using your income and/or credit to qualify for a mortgage, most lenders require proof of authorization to work in the U.S., including government-backed mortgages.

[lgg 2]

I dunno, but to me, it makes sense that they would ask -- I was shocked that that was not one of the first things that they asked, actually. It's just that we are thisclose to finishing with all this loan stuff and THEN they're like, oh by the way....

But yes it makes sense that they'd want it. I just want to make sure that they're happy with that and my letter of extension. Like I said, I just wish the GC would get here -- it's been almost 6 months and I've had the biotmetrics done and everything.

Thanks to all who answer.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

As many times as I have dealt with mortgage companies, they are for some weird stuff just before closing escrow, and funding the loan. You have to hope the extension letter will work, with the explanation that you don't see any reason why your ROC won't be approved. However, you just never know what they may decide until the loan is funded.

My first mortgage, they cut the check with my nickname as my first name, instead of my legal one. The escrow company, my agent, and I, decided in was easier to conform all the other documents to the check and loan papers, then go back to the loan company and get another check. It was the last day of escrow, and this was after having the mortgage company try and change the loan terms within a few days of closing. It took threats of a lawsuit from two real estate companies, the escrow company, the seller and me, just to get that check. What a pain!

[lgg 2]

Yep, this is my fear. And since they're going to be SO ignorant as to how this process works, they're not even going to even realize that the actual buying of the house is the most bonified way really for the USCIS to assess the validity of a marriage. So, i'm expecting some issue as no one who has not gone through immigration knows what most things mean. So, I'm just waiting for all the hassle to come raining down.

YaY!

As many times as I have dealt with mortgage companies, they are for some weird stuff just before closing escrow, and funding the loan. You have to hope the extension letter will work, with the explanation that you don't see any reason why your ROC won't be approved. However, you just never know what they may decide until the loan is funded.

My first mortgage, they cut the check with my nickname as my first name, instead of my legal one. The escrow company, my agent, and I, decided in was easier to conform all the other documents to the check and loan papers, then go back to the loan company and get another check. It was the last day of escrow, and this was after having the mortgage company try and change the loan terms within a few days of closing. It took threats of a lawsuit from two real estate companies, the escrow company, the seller and me, just to get that check. What a pain!

[Caryh 5,206]

Yep, this is my fear. And since they're going to be SO ignorant as to how this process works, they're not even going to even realize that the actual buying of the house is the most bonified way really for the USCIS to assess the validity of a marriage. So, i'm expecting some issue as no one who has not gone through immigration knows what most things mean. So, I'm just waiting for all the hassle to come raining down.

YaY!

We just bought a car for my wife who doesn't have her green card after 6 months of waiting. One company I checked with to get us a loan refused to include my wife on the loan because her SS card said good for employment with DHS authorization. We had included a copy of the EAD. They'd give me a loan alone, but not if I wanted my wife on the loan. The other could have cared less what it said, as long as my credit was good. We talked with the bank about a refi on the house, and our bank seems fine with her status. Of course we haven't actually done paper work yet, so who knows really.

[xrukopotam 0]

No worries -- we just bought a house and I had to submit a copy of my expired green card along with the extension notice letter. No questions asked -- got approved for mortgage

[DaniG 3]

Your best bet might be to speak directly to someone from the lending institution and explain that you are in the process of renewing your expired card, which usually takes several months and ask what document they would accept as proof - copy of expired card, copy of extension letter or USCIS stamp in passport (you could get that at an Infopass). Sometimes they just have to check a box in their system and need some kind of document to basically cover their ####, so they are happy to get anything that fulfills the requirements somehow, especially when they are given options and are allowed to pick which one they want themselves.

It should work out, but it does seem that different lenders have different procedures and requirements, and it might be worth it to shop around for the right bank if a particular one is giving you more trouble than you can handle. A friend of mine does not even have a GC (she is on H1B, single lady) but was able to buy a house in 2009 and refinance it last year without any issues - just talked to as many banks as she had time to contact. On the other end of the spectrum, I've received a rejection from a bank on a credit card application stating that the reason they wouldn't approve was that I'm not a US citizen, period, even though I had had a checking account with them for several years (wouldn't even let me open a prepaid CC account) - well, they lost a client really fast and another bank gave me a CC with an 8K limit within a few months. We bought our house 6 months after our marriage, so we had a similar issue but mostly because of lack of credit history for me - the mortgage is technically under my US hubby's name, but they listed me as guarantor of the mortgage, putting my name on all mortgage documents and on the deed, so USCIS got plenty of paperwork for ROC.

Edited May 15, 2012 by DaniG

[lgg 2]

Yepper!

Same with us. All went well.

Thanks a lot, everyone.

No worries -- we just bought a house and I had to submit a copy of my expired green card along with the extension notice letter. No questions asked -- got approved for mortgage

[babygirl1 0]

Actually, with regards to the green card, from my experience, (my husband and I have done 3 closings as a married couple) it depends on the financial institution and how they will react to your green card expired and extension letter.

Bank of America has closed on 2 of our houses, where they did not give us any issues.

However, there was a company which would not put me on the mortgage to one of our homes (as luck would have it- our matrimonial one). It was a third party lending company which ended up selling us to Bank of America in the end....go figure!

Either way, good luck! I agree with the person who made the comment on how difficult it is to obtain "matrimonial evidence" with no banks giving conditional green card holders mortgages, joint credit cards, etc.

[Germanimmigrant 12]

I am facing the same issue soon. I'll be the principal borrower, so they want to see my GC. We will be closing hopefully in two months (haven't found a house yet) and I expect the GC in the mail any day now (was approved 32 days ago). But this delay with USCIS surely makes me nervous. I am sick of having to submit the makeshift paperwork. I want to be able to submit the real thing. That approval letter on standard white paper doesn't look official at all.

[smsgrl2009 1]

My husband and I are in the process of closing a loan and he is still a CR1. We cannot apply for ROC until October of this year. At the beginning of the process, they asked for a copy of his green card and we submitted what we had. We are due to close on July 27 and I am nervous that will be our hiccup as he is the sole person on the loan. I have another home in my name and cannot be on his loan. Since his arrival in America, we have a child together so I don't think removing conditions will be an issue for us..but am concerned how the underwriters will view the CR1..

[grrrrreat 109]

My husband and I are in the process of closing a loan and he is still a CR1. We cannot apply for ROC until October of this year. At the beginning of the process, they asked for a copy of his green card and we submitted what we had. We are due to close on July 27 and I am nervous that will be our hiccup as he is the sole person on the loan. I have another home in my name and cannot be on his loan. Since his arrival in America, we have a child together so I don't think removing conditions will be an issue for us..but am concerned how the underwriters will view the CR1..

This isn't a problem. He's not a "CR-1" anymore, he's a conditional permanent resident. A Green Card is a Green Card no matter how you got it.