Traveling Abroad with expired Greencard

[wvuwvu7 0]

My question is my wife and I are traveling to the Philippines in Feb. 2013. Her greencard expires in 12/12. I will file the I751 next month and should have the I797 receipt to accompany her expired Greencard but when talking to TSA (transportation safety admin) they said they the I797 receipt is not an acceptable form of identification and they would not accept an expired Greencard. (even with the I797 reciept) I talked with the Boarder Patrol and they said they would accept this for re-entry to the US. To complicate things more, my wife still has a valid passport but it has her maiden name on it and her Greencard has her married name of course. Im sure many people have faced my dilima in the past, I just dont want to spend $5000 (non refundable) money on a trip to be denied by TSA or other immigration officials. Im assuming I should get the plane ticket in her married name (Greencard) name to avoid hassels re-entering the US. Please Advise. Thanks!

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Ticket in passport name. GC + original extension letter to reenter US. Copy of marriage cert to prove name change.

TSA is not immigration. You are asking the wrong people. TSA just knows about an acceptable ID - and a piece of paper by itself is not. In other words, you can't board a flight with just a piece of paper. Her passport is her ID for the TSA. Immigration is a different matter.

[wvuwvu7 0]

Ticket in passport name. GC + original extension letter to reenter US. Copy of marriage cert to prove name change.

TSA is not immigration. You are asking the wrong people. TSA just knows about an acceptable ID - and a piece of paper by itself is not. In other words, you can't board a flight with just a piece of paper. Her passport is her ID for the TSA. Immigration is a different matter.

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Thanks for the reply. Are you sure that Boarder Patrol will let her back in the states if the name on her ticket is different from that on her greencard? Will immigration accept her passport in her maiden name? Thanks again!

[Krikit 1,165]

Yes, they will allow her re-entry. I've done it dozens of times with the same scenario.