Is there any other options I've overlooked? Travel/Removal of Conditions

[DavidLovesPheap 6]

Background info:

My wife traveled here on a K-1 Visa in 2013, we got married, and I applied to adjust her status to permanent resident, which was approved and she received her greencard June 18 2014. We have since had one child, now 6 months old.

Our plan:

We want to travel back to her home country (Cambodia) and stay there for about 6 months so that her parents get a chance to see their grandchild, and I'm also looking into possible academic research opportunities that I could work on while there, and possibly get a stipend to do so. Regardless of whether I do or not, we definitely want to go.

Originally we started planning it fro Feb 20th 2016 through August 20th 2016. This is what our ideal is, but I no longer think it is possible, unless I have overlooked something

The problem:

Her conditional greencard expires on June 18, 2016.

Backup plans:

We could change our itinerary so that we leave a week early, and then come back the second week in June. That would give us 4 months there. The only reason we don't like this is that the summers here are really hard on her, and we'd get the full blunt of an Arizona summer. Are there any other problems anyone could foresee with this plan?

We could wait until I send in form i-751 and get NOA1 (This extends her permanent resident status by 1-year, correct?). That would mean possibly having the letter by the first week in April, then we could spend April through August in Cambodia. However, I see that the Biometrics appointment is generally 1-month after NOA1. Can this be rescheduled to several months later? What happens when you miss a biometrics appointment? Is this not feasible?

Any other things I might be missing here? What about an i-131, can it help us in any way? Thank you for your responses.

~David

[Pitaya 2,577]

Background info:

My wife traveled here on a K-1 Visa in 2013, we got married, and I applied to adjust her status to permanent resident, which was approved and she received her greencard June 18 2014. We have since had one child, now 6 months old.

Our plan:

We want to travel back to her home country (Cambodia) and stay there for about 6 months so that her parents get a chance to see their grandchild, and I'm also looking into possible academic research opportunities that I could work on while there, and possibly get a stipend to do so. Regardless of whether I do or not, we definitely want to go.

Originally we started planning it fro Feb 20th 2016 through August 20th 2016. This is what our ideal is, but I no longer think it is possible, unless I have overlooked something

The problem:

Her conditional greencard expires on June 18, 2016.

Backup plans:

We could change our itinerary so that we leave a week early, and then come back the second week in June. That would give us 4 months there. The only reason we don't like this is that the summers here are really hard on her, and we'd get the full blunt of an Arizona summer. Are there any other problems anyone could foresee with this plan?

We could wait until I send in form i-751 and get NOA1 (This extends her permanent resident status by 1-year, correct?). That would mean possibly having the letter by the first week in April, then we could spend April through August in Cambodia. However, I see that the Biometrics appointment is generally 1-month after NOA1. Can this be rescheduled to several months later? You are at the mercy of the USCIS scheduling minions. What happens when you miss a biometrics appointment? USCIS could consider your petition/application abandoned. Is this not feasible?

Any other things I might be missing here? What about an i-131, can it help us in any way? Don't think that is available for ROC. Thank you for your responses.

~David

Trying to second guess USCIS is a game that is fraught with likely very few success stories, and a lot of heartache. Picking the Mega-million lotto numbers may be less stressful. Personally, we didn't plan any trips until after my wife and stepson got their 10-yr GCs, that course of action had enough stress built in by USCIS, but seems much less stressful than what you are considering.

YMMV.

Good luck on your immigration journey.

[heo luoi 206]

I agree managing timing during these phases is very difficult. She lives here now so more bad summers will be a constant, I'd rather deal w/ that than inducing any more potholes in the immigration journey that i didn't have to. You can't help summer being hot unless you maybe move. Travel itinerary you have more control over. GL

[agrabs 241]

I would not plan anything based on what USCIS processing times appear to be. My husband filed for ROC in May and did not get his biometrics letter until September 15. - so instead of the 1 month average it took 4 months and a lot of phone calls to USCIS - and we were not alone. This happened to about 1/4 of the May petitioners. Even after the biometrics is done you would still need to be available in case you get scheduled for an interview or need to respond to an RFE. I would go early and return before green card expires.

[NikaMo 39]

I would recommend go little early if you do have to go and come back to file removal of condition. My wife filed removal of condition on July 30 and she had bio metrics appointment a month later. But it doesn't always work that way so don't rely on that. We are also planning to visit Cambodia next year around February. We also have a 6 months old girl. But we are not staying that long. I cannot take off more then 3 weeks from work. Hopefully by that time wife will have her 10 year green card.

[TBoneTX 45,301]

An unrelated post has been split from this thread, moved to the Working & Traveling forum, and given this thread title: "Can Cruise to Bahamas with use of Green Card? [split topic]."

VJ Moderation

[Daveykins 17]

Trying to second guess USCIS is a game that is fraught with likely very few success stories, and a lot of heartache. Picking the Mega-million lotto numbers may be less stressful. Personally, we didn't plan any trips until after my wife and stepson got their 10-yr GCs, that course of action had enough stress built in by USCIS, but seems much less stressful than what you are considering.

YMMV.

Good luck on your immigration journey.

I fully agree with this. Isn't worth the risk not to mention stress that would come along with trying to guess when USCIS is going to do something. We're not planning any international travel during the time that my wife's ROC is in processing after submitting it next month. After she gets 10-yr GC, no problems.