Traveling with expired green card!

[nooha 16]

Hi everybody, i have a simple question i would like to travel to my country in the next months, i have i-751 pending case, if i keep waiting until i get approved i don't know when i will get approval, i will have an expired green card and the extension letter while traveling, Do i have to get a stamp in my passport ? how? is the stamp in the passport expire in the same date like the extension letter ?

Thanks , i look forward for your clarification regarding the Stamp in the passport!

[Sukie 1,461]

Hi everybody, i have a simple question i would like to travel to my country in the next months, i have i-751 pending case, if i keep waiting until i get approved i don't know when i will get approval, i will have an expired green card and the extension letter while traveling, Do i have to get a stamp in my passport ? how? is the stamp in the passport expire in the same date like the extension letter ?

Thanks , i look forward for your clarification regarding the Stamp in the passport!

You do not need a stamp in your passport. Just have your expired Green Card and your NOA1 extension letter with you.

Good luck!

Sukie in NY

[nooha 16]

You do not need a stamp in your passport. Just have your expired Green Card and your NOA1 extension letter with you.

Good luck!

Sukie in NY

Thank you for your answer, is it OK by the time when i will be traveling the extension letter will be soon to expire? it will expire in NOV and me i will be overseas in Sep and may be few days in OCT

What is the purpose of getting stamp in the passport?

Thanks again

[nooha 16]

I see people getting I551 stamp in their passport, but i don't understand why they get the stamp if they have the expired green card and the extension letter!!!!!

[Sukie 1,461]

Thank you for your answer, is it OK by the time when i will be traveling the extension letter will be soon to expire? it will expire in NOV and me i will be overseas in Sep and may be few days in OCT

What is the purpose of getting stamp in the passport?

Thanks again

The purpose of getting a stamp is if USCIS is STILL processing your I-751 after one year (i.e. - the end of your extension). From what I can tell, USCIS does not like people to have an extension letter AND a stamp in the passport.

As long as you are back in the US before the extension letter has expired, you will be fine.

If you are really worried, you can try to make an INFOPASS appointment and get a stamp, but I'm not sure how successful you will be unless you are really close to the end of the one-year extension.

Sukie in NY

[nooha 16]

The purpose of getting a stamp is if USCIS is STILL processing your I-751 after one year (i.e. - the end of your extension). From what I can tell, USCIS does not like people to have an extension letter AND a stamp in the passport.

As long as you are back in the US before the extension letter has expired, you will be fine.

If you are really worried, you can try to make an INFOPASS appointment and get a stamp, but I'm not sure how successful you will be unless you are really close to the end of the one-year extension.

Sukie in NY

Thank you, now i understand the purpose of getting a stamp, i really don't need it as long as i have an extension letter, i thought i MUST have a stamp in my passport if i need to travel and my case is pending /green card expired

thanks again

[Leo7777 243]

As long as you are back in the US before the extension letter has expired, you will be fine.

Not always 'fine.' Here are two earlier posts in other threads:

I traveled home in December for the Christmas and New Year period and my Husband (an American citizen) joined me 5 days later for 10 days. I ended up staying 5 weeks as my Mother was not well, and returned last Wednesday. I produced my I-797 Notice of Action and my expired Green Card at the desk and the officer asked if I was still married and what was the update on the processing of my green card.

I told him that I am still married and that I did my biometrics in June but have had no word since. He asked me to come with him to another room so I asked him if there was a problem and he said sharply "There might be. It's conditional. You might be denied".

I was told to wait while he spoke to another officer and asked him to check everything out. I couldn't hear what was said between them but after some typing on his keyboard, he made a call, left his desk to go to speak to someone else. After a couple of minutes he returned and asked me if I was still married and what my husband worked at and also what I worked at. I told him and then he said "how long were you here for" so I told him 5 weeks and that my husband had joined me for 10 days of the trip. I asked him if there was a problem and he said "just go and check it out when you get back".

Thankfully he let me through but it really unnerves me as I thought the whole idea of the I-751 receipt is that it allows work and travel authorization for one year. Mine doesn't expire until May and I have used it twice before with no problems.

- - - - - - -

I also travaled back in August with a expired green card and the form stating it was extended for a year AND I also had THE STAMP on my passport.

BUT STILL when coming in through Houston...with my US citizen wife..they put me in a room and where asking me for bunch of personal stuff...holding me for almost 2 hours.....then let me through...I didnt let it get to me and I finally got through. They just like to abuse their power.

[MsDDD 7]

Already 10 times said my story when in DFW Dallas airport American Airlines didn't want to put me aboard even to go OUT of country. As well just cause of me the relative was taken off. Long hours of explanations, tons of useless calls to USCIS and AA office. Only CBP office helped explain them and round trip with lost time.

Don;t know who go the stamp along with extension letter, but in our local USCIS office where I had infopass I was said they will not give stamp if I have the letter in hands...which was...

[Sukie 1,461]

Bottom line: the law says with your NOA1 letter and your expired Green Card you are free to travel.

No one can help the fact that either uninformed or sadistic CBP agents exist.

The first paragraph of the NOA1 letter specifically states that you are allowed to work and travel during the extension period. If an airline agent balks, then ask for a supervisor (nicely).

We often know this process better than the people administering it!

Sukie in NY

[MsDDD 7]

Funny. Asked in fact not the workers, but "supervisor" too, the refuse was giving exactly by supervisor of Am Airlines. And he said he talked with some CBP officer, said even his name and the one told that "GC expired and no way and no pieces of paper to prove opposite" . Was going by feet to talk to CBP office. and meanwhile the shift changed on AM Air departure and appeared another supervisor, who was exactly smart and did go to ask CBP and later explain to workers. I did the way finally later, but trust me, the average person could be just simple turned away if not same persistent.

This could be something about American Airlines. I was reading that time and seems they dump and neglect and discriminate people all the time included national discrimination, disabled people, etc.

Edited June 4, 2016 by MsDDD

[Lemonslice 4,850]

Uninformed/idiot workers can be found everywhere. However, most people travel without any hassle. Went around the world during ROC and flew back to the USA from 10-12 countries without anyone causing trouble.

[squareleg 69]

Reposting my reply from another thread -

Yes, you will be able to enter US with the extension letter. However, that doesn't mean that it will be seamless entry for every person holding that document and on every airline.

I have traveled extensively (Europe-Asia-Latin America) on the expired greencard along with extension letter. It absolutely depends on the education of the airline employee and the CBP personnel. There is no consistency. I consider, these extension letters are in place for decades (as I was informed by CBP), however, not everyone is educated to consider it as valid document. Airline or CBP then just have call for their supervisor to validate...this causes delays. I suggest, giving yourself plenty of time.

There could be worst case scenario (incident was in 1 out of 17 trips that I took) as well. One of the European airline didn't let me board because they did not understand the document. Since, I was traveling on business, I was able to get a ticket on another airline in few minutes.

[nooha 16]

THanks everybody for your help and answers, hopefully I can get approved soon really I would like to travel without any issues

[TBoneTX 45,305]

Thread is moved from the Removing Conditions forum to the Working & Traveling forum -- topic is travel.

[JustBreathe 22]

i just went home to Canada for 14 day and came back to the USA via Chicago and I had ZERO issues.

I handed the CBP my passport, letter and greencard and he asked me only the following:

1. if i was still married

2. what my husband did

3. what I did

4. how long I was gone

He told me to be patient for my 10 year card cause they take forver. Then told me that he liked Canadian BBQ sauce better then American and asked me if I had any "Diana" sauce