Questions on a permanent resident's passport being expired

[Coleman21 6]

Hi,

I have been a permanent resident of the USA since last August based on marriage to a US citizen. I am from Japan. My passport is expiring this coming December, but I was told by the Japanese consulate that I would have to go to NYC to get my passport, although I can apply through mail. My husband and I are trying to get a new apartment house very soon, so we are very tight on money now, and going to NYC would really trouble us financially at this point. I know it is more work to get a passport after it expires, but I am thinking I would rather do that if it is okay for a permanent resident to have an invalid passport. Since I have my green card with me, and I am also going to get a NY driver's license soon, my assumption is that I will not need a passport unless I am going abroad. Am I right or wrong?

Also, my husband and I had not been married for two years when I got my green card, so we'll have to lift condition on my curreent green card in two years. I am also interested in applying for US citizenship after lifting condition on my green card and when I become eligible to apply for citizenship. I looked at instructions for lifting condition and applying for US citizenship, and so far I see no requirement for my Japanese passport. But I want to see if I really don't need my Japanese passport for these.

If I do become an American citizen in the future, I will get an American passport, is that correct? And then, can I travel outside of the US with an American passport only? I'm trying to see if I can even get around reobtaining my Japanese passport after my current one expires.

Thank you!

[Pitaya 2,577]

You will need a valid unexpired passport.

[Darnell 8,478]

some countries have an outreach program, where passport staff go SOMEWHERE ELSE (hopefully close to where you are) and do stuff on the weekends. Suggest you find out if the Consulate in NYC has any outreach service.

Did I read you right? They DO handle mail-in stuff? IMO, get a PO Box soon in the new city where yer moving to, and use that as the address for a mail-in-passport-renewal.

HTH !

[newacct 688]

If you do not need to leave the country, there is no need for a passport.

However, what if something unexpected suddenly happens (e.g. with a relative) abroad? It would very hard to get a passport in a hurry then.

You will need a valid unexpired passport.

For what?

[NickD 202]

Stepdaughter passport expired shortly after she got here and her biological father would not give permission for her to renew it. Even though we went to the Venezuelan consulate in Chicago, bring the divorce papers where my wife had full custody.

The bottom line is, she just could not travel out of this country. With the consulates, for us, only four of them in the entire USA, all depends upon where you live, for us, a 700 mile round trip. Surprised Japan lets you do this by mail, we have to show up in person. In no way did this affect her immigration process, no law that states you must maintain your foreign passport. And again it depends on your consulate, when she turned 18, had no problems in getting a new passport, it just took that long trip and money.

Yet another variable is the agreement our DOS has with Japan, you can learn this by going to the DOS site and looking up Japan to see what agreements our DOS has with them. In our case with Venezuela, stepdaughter can travel practically in any country in the world with her US Passport, but to visit Venezuela, must maintain her citizenship there and have a valid Venezuelan passport. They know this, because in her US passport, it shows her place of birth in Venezuela, they won't let her in unless she has a valid Venezuelan passport. This varies from country to country.

Also understand US citizens with US passport require a visa to go to my Japan, youngest son received one to study, but when the semester ended so did the visa. Fell in love with a girl there and had to come back, practically killed him. Took him two years to get a tourist visa, but when he got back to Japan, his girl found somebody else.

Removal of conditions was the worse stage for us and many more, we sent in our I-751 loaded with evidence 88 days before her condition green card would expire and shortly received a one year extension notice that prompted us to apply for US citizenship for her also at the earliest possible date. She had to carry that one year extension notice with her expired green card, when that extension was about to expire had to make a 450 mile round trip to get an I-551 stamp in her foreign passport book, but we could have applied for an I-94 instead. Just a couple of days before her interview, her ten year card finally came in. Only to give it back. That is when she learned she couldn't travel anymore until she got her US passport. But is also required to maintain her home country passport if she wants to visit there.

They make the laws, we just have to follow them.

[Coleman21 6]

Japan just lets us apply by mail. They need me to pick up my new passport in person. That's why I would need a lot of money for traveling if I choose to renew my passport on time. Thank you all for replying.

[Coleman21 6]

some countries have an outreach program, where passport staff go SOMEWHERE ELSE (hopefully close to where you are) and do stuff on the weekends. Suggest you find out if the Consulate in NYC has any outreach service.

Did I read you right? They DO handle mail-in stuff? IMO, get a PO Box soon in the new city where yer moving to, and use that as the address for a mail-in-passport-renewal.

HTH !

I was told they do that stuff, but the next time they do is after my passport expires, so if I want to renew my passport before it expires, I definitely would have to go to NYC.

My writing probably confused you.. We can apply by mail, but when they get everything ready, I have to show up in person. I was like.. so what's the real point of applying by mail??!

And I'm only moving in the same city as where I live now, which takes at least 6 hours by car to go to NYC.

Thank you anyway for taking your time to answer my question.

[Coleman21 6]

If you do not need to leave the country, there is no need for a passport.

However, what if something unexpected suddenly happens (e.g. with a relative) abroad? It would very hard to get a passport in a hurry then.

For what?

My friend told me that she saw on skyteam website that that Japan lets us go back to our country with expired passport. If I really don't renew my passport, and if I could really go back to Japan without a valid passport, do you know if I can return to the US without a passport, if I have a green card?

[newacct 688]

My friend told me that she saw on skyteam website that that Japan lets us go back to our country with expired passport. If I really don't renew my passport, and if I could really go back to Japan without a valid passport, do you know if I can return to the US without a passport, if I have a green card?

It's up to the airline. You can enter the U.S. with just your green card. But the question is whether the airlines will let you fly. If they do, then there is no problem.

[Coleman21 6]

Oh, I see. Thank you so much for your answer.