American Airlines says USCIS is giving " inadequate documentation"

[squareleg 69]

I-797: extends your status for an year and allows you to travel. However, not all the airlines and immigration officials are educated to the same degree. I have faced problems on certain occasions while some instance they looked at the paper and understood what it means.

I have faced problems mostly on the return journey, when I'm taking a flight from Europe or Asia, the airline employees are not always informed about the situation with expired greencard and I-797.

​Good Luck on your future travels!

Off topic but on my recent travels to Canada (on business visa) - I was grilled for 2-hours by their immigration officials. Well, I had valid documentation however, the officials needed the interrogation (separate cabins - one male and two female officers with same questions). And, the question ranged from whether I have any kids in Canada to whether I would disappear to join university in Canada.

Sometime, you just have to chalk such experiences as part of travel....rather they make the travels interesting!

Edited April 2, 2016 by squareleg

[Boiler 46,163]

2 years?

[charmander 692]

I-797: extends your status for an year and allows you to travel. However, not all the airlines and immigration officials are educated to the same degree. I have faced problems on certain occasions while some instance they looked at the paper and understood what it means.

I have faced problems mostly on the return journey, when I'm taking a flight from Europe or Asia, the airline employees are not always informed about the situation with expired greencard and I-797.

​Good Luck on your future travels!

Off topic but on my recent travels to Canada (on business visa) - I was grilled for 2-hours by their immigration officials. Well, I had valid documentation however, the officials needed the interrogation (separate cabins - one male and two female officers with same questions). And, the question ranged from whether I have any kids in Canada to whether I would disappear to join university in Canada.

Sometime, you just have to chalk such experiences as part of travel....rather they make the travels interesting!

Well OPs issue was, AA complained OPs GC was expired. They didn't care about the NOA letter at all. Most people face problems similar to yours when their cases are not approved after 8-10 months. CBP probably thinks it should take no more than 5-6 months to adjudicate ROCs, they have no idea about the timelines of USCIS, and once they see a case that is pending for a long while, they probably say BINGO.

In that case, instead of interrogating, all CBP has to do is to check the status of the case on USCIS database. Unfortunately, despite being under the same umbrella DHS, CBP and USCIS are two different agencies. Miscommunication is their biggest issue. USCIS could periodically send out notices to CBP on which cases are long pending, or CBP could update their agents on the current processing times of USCIS. Probably neither is happening.

[MsDDD 7]

Thank you, Sisters and Brothers for your support. By the time of travel my GC was expired only for 2 days and NOA extension letter was like 2+ months fresh. Even after another smart person came to the shift they had to figure out what date to put as 1 year extension into the system before sending us to next available flight, from GC expiration day that 1 year or from the day posted in extension letter.

Believe or not, since we didn't need visa to the country of arrival, I really asked just to let us go out of country using passports, Answer was NO, just because we had return ticket and I was showing GC and letter.

I say WE because my closest family's person in fact going just through with long valid US visa wasn't checked into flight too just because of issue with me. Sent question about second person. No answer, no word about that.

My advice-if something going wrong. Run quickly to CBP office and show what you have in hands. You can't get to USCIS cabinets from departure zone, but that agency at least will give you the local office number and you can try(at least!) to connect airline personnel with them.

As about now I filed claim to insurance company which covered our trip with all docs(another advice to keep boarding passes, hotel docs, etc). Will see what will be there. As about BBB will possible do complain too. Not really seeking for revenge, but thinking that the average person if not me could be not doing any trip at all in same circumstances just giving up, with loss of mood, money, health. No way.