Travel out of country while on ROC

[JAYANN & JAY 11]

Hello everyone. My husband and I are planning a trip next year in August. We are going to send his ROC in early/mid January since his 2 year GC will expire on April 2016. Is it safe for us to travel out of country while in the process or ROC? Has anyone traveled out of country while on ROC? I am not sure how long the GC will take to arrive. Any advice would help. Thanks

[Greenbaum 12,259]

Hello everyone. My husband and I are planning a trip next year in August. We are going to send his ROC in early/mid January since his 2 year GC will expire on April 2016. Is it safe for us to travel out of country while in the process or ROC? Has anyone traveled out of country while on ROC? I am not sure how long the GC will take to arrive. Any advice would help. Thanks

You and your spouse must apply together to remove the conditions on your residence by filing Form I-751. You should apply during the 90 days before your second anniversary as a conditional resident. The expiration date on your green card is also the date of your second anniversary as a conditional resident. If you do not apply to remove the conditions in time, you could lose your conditional resident status and be removed from the country.

http://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/conditional-permanent-residence/remove-conditions-permanent-residence-based-marriage

When you send in your I-751 petition and your documentary evidence, you will receive back a letter from USCIS telling you they have received your application and your green card is extended for one more year. You need to keep this letter with your expired green card as it proves you are still in legal status. You can still work and travel with this letter and your expired green card.

You will also receive another notice for a biometrics appointment. Here is the catch on your traveling, will you be out of the country when the Bio Appointment is? That's the canary in the mine. Figure that out and you can travel.

[Hank_ 9,174]

Hello everyone. My husband and I are planning a trip next year in August. We are going to send his ROC in early/mid January since his 2 year GC will expire on April 2016. Is it safe for us to travel out of country while in the process or ROC? Has anyone traveled out of country while on ROC? I am not sure how long the GC will take to arrive. Any advice would help. Thanks

ROC is all about showing evidence of combining your lives together; joint bank account statements, utility bills, titles to automobiles, deed to the house... all dating back to when you got married and completed AOS. Once you file you will get a year extension (NOA 1) of your current green card so traveling outside the USA is not an issue - as long as biometrics was completed, make sure to carry a copy of the NOA1 once you file ROC until you get the new green card.

ROC is taking an average of 6 months (I know of a few where it took a month or two longer and for us it took only 4 months).

Hope all is going well with you two!

Edited April 21, 2015 by Hank_

[JAYANN & JAY 11]

ROC is all about showing evidence of combining your lives together; joint bank account statements, utility bills, titles to automobiles, deed to the house... all dating back to when you got married and completed AOS. Once you file you will get a year extension (NOA 1) of your current green card so traveling outside the USA is not an issue - as long as biometrics was completed, make sure to carry a copy of the NOA1 once you file ROC until you get the new green card.

ROC is taking an average of 6 months (I know of a few where it took a month or two longer and for us it took only 4 months).

Hope all is going well with you two!

Thanks Hank As always you are very helpful. We have a joint bank account, insurance card for medical & auto & etc...how long does biometrics take? Will he be doing biometrics after they received the application for ROC like with the AOS?

Yes everything is going good with the two of us Hope all is well with you also.

[JAYANN & JAY 11]

You and your spouse must apply together to remove the conditions on your residence by filing Form I-751. You should apply during the 90 days before your second anniversary as a conditional resident. The expiration date on your green card is also the date of your second anniversary as a conditional resident. If you do not apply to remove the conditions in time, you could lose your conditional resident status and be removed from the country.

http://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/conditional-permanent-residence/remove-conditions-permanent-residence-based-marriage

When you send in your I-751 petition and your documentary evidence, you will receive back a letter from USCIS telling you they have received your application and your green card is extended for one more year. You need to keep this letter with your expired green card as it proves you are still in legal status. You can still work and travel with this letter and your expired green card.

You will also receive another notice for a biometrics appointment. Here is the catch on your traveling, will you be out of the country when the Bio Appointment is? That's the canary in the mine. Figure that out and you can travel.

Thank you. Is it safe for us to file early/mid January 2016 since my husband's GC will expire April 2016? I heard if you file too early they will send it back. I was planning to prepare everything by December to have it sent out by January. Hoping that the Bio appointment will be schedule 1 month after they receive the application for ROC like the AOS

[Greenbaum 12,259]

Thank you. Is it safe for us to file early/mid January 2016 since my husband's GC will expire April 2016? I heard if you file too early they will send it back. I was planning to prepare everything by December to have it sent out by January. Hoping that the Bio appointment will be schedule 1 month after they receive the application for ROC like the AOS

Yes they have a record of returning ROC applications that are filed too soon. Use this neat little calculator to know what is the best time. We are nearing ours also, so I have been doing the calculations, gathering papers etc.

Good luck.

http://www.timeanddate.com/date/dateadd.html

[Hank_ 9,174]

Thanks Hank As always you are very helpful. We have a joint bank account, insurance card for medical & auto & etc...how long does biometrics take? Will he be doing biometrics after they received the application for ROC like with the AOS?

Yes everything is going good with the two of us Hope all is well with you also.

Yes biometrics appointment is about the same time frame as when you did AOS.

Thank you. Is it safe for us to file early/mid January 2016 since my husband's GC will expire April 2016? I heard if you file too early they will send it back. I was planning to prepare everything by December to have it sent out by January. Hoping that the Bio appointment will be schedule 1 month after they receive the application for ROC like the AOS

You can not file ROC until the date you become eligible (90 days before expiration of current green card), and yes they will return the application if they receive it early.

[bxman 13]

ROC is all about showing evidence of combining your lives together; joint bank account statements, utility bills, titles to automobiles, deed to the house... all dating back to when you got married and completed AOS. Once you file you will get a year extension (NOA 1) of your current green card so traveling outside the USA is not an issue - as long as biometrics was completed, make sure to carry a copy of the NOA1 once you file ROC until you get the new green card.

ROC is taking an average of 6 months (I know of a few where it took a month or two longer and for us it took only 4 months).

Hope all is going well with you two!

Hank thanks so much for always having such a good handle on things.

Jenny & I can apply for ROC the end of Aug-1st of Sept and wondered about travel also

VJ is such a great site

Never been lucky enough to get anything from USICS in a timely manner! lol

So we will just expect a 7 month wait Apr 2016? :-(

By then citizenship in in range!

Thanks all you VJ'ers

[Hank_ 9,174]

Hank thanks so much for always having such a good handle on things.

Jenny & I can apply for ROC the end of Aug-1st of Sept and wondered about travel also

VJ is such a great site

Never been lucky enough to get anything from USICS in a timely manner! lol

So we will just expect a 7 month wait Apr 2016? :-(

By then citizenship in in range!

Thanks all you VJ'ers

I was just thinking about you two over this past week, you popped into my mind... crazy.

Yes expect the longer time frame as VSC has been slower with ROC, I know a couple that just completed ROC through VSC ant it took the best part of 7 months for them. We filed months later and got the new GC in 4 months.

Ya that is the silly with getting ROC done, about 9 months later you can start citizenship.

Hope all is well with you two.

We are heading out to the Phils next month.

Edited April 22, 2015 by Hank_

[bxman 13]

I was just thinking about you two over this past week, you popped into my mind... crazy.

Yes expect the longer time frame as VSC has been slower with ROC, I know a couple that just completed ROC through VSC ant it took the best part of 7 months for them. We filed months later and got the new GC in 4 months.

Ya that is the silly with getting ROC done, about 9 months later you can start citizenship.

Hope all is well with you two.

We are heading out to the Phils next month.

Great to hear from you Hank

Wish we could go too! I am so READY! lol

But looks like it'll be next year this time if all goes well

I feel like we've been standing in line for YEARS now with more to go

Hope yall have a great visit

Mind if I ask which island?

[Hank_ 9,174]

Great to hear from you Hank

Wish we could go too! I am so READY! lol

But looks like it'll be next year this time if all goes well

I feel like we've been standing in line for YEARS now with more to go

Hope yall have a great visit

Mind if I ask which island?

We hung tough until we completed ROC, now we will head over for a about 3 months. Wife is from Luzon, about 7 km south of Makati in Taguig City .... not crazy about the city. We are heading up to north Luzon for a few weeks also.

Once back from the Phils it will be time to start the citizenship process.

[bxman 13]

Looks like you're a year ahead of us Hank

I will gladly follow your footsteps