I-751 July 2016 Filers

[Livelyjo 15]

Hey guys!

How does an affidavit look like? You know, the letter friends write for you saying you and your honey have a real relationship. I was looking for like a sample maybe, with no luck. Help!

[drex33 12]

Can someone add me to the list? Thank you!

 

Filed: 7/23/2016

NOA: 7/25/2016

Bio: 9/30/2016

pending.....

 

[silvershadow369 18]

While we're all still waiting, can I just share a horrible traveling experience I went through recently in hopes that others don't make the same mistake that I did:

 

TL;DR: Carry the ORIGINAL NOA extension letter with you when traveling, not a copy.

 

I went on a 2 week vacation to Europe with my expired green card and a copy of the NOA extension letter (i.e. not the original). Before I could leave Europe (Amsterdam Schiphol Airport) to return to the US, passport control detained me for about 25 minutes to verify that I could enter the US, as they didn't accept the copy of the NOA letter. Then, when entering the US (Chicago O'Hare Airport), I was detained again for 15 minutes, as they too didn't accept the copy of the NOA. Fortunately, US border patrol could easily look up my info and see that I was still a legal permanent resident with a ROC pending. Yes, this was very foolish of me to travel with a copy of the letter and not the original. But for anybody else that needs to travel soon, please take the original with you, and keep a copy at home. Nobody likes to be detained at any airport!

 

And just to comment on what someone else said...

 

On 6/22/2017 at 10:29 PM, nightingalejules said:

...the law firm I contacted said that even with an expired NOA letter, border control officials can search your name and Green Card number and determine that you are still a Legal Permanent Resident. I wouldn't take a chance with that...

 

You can certainly take a chance with this. This is sort of what happened with me (expect my NOA was still valid). They wouldn't even look at the copy of my NOA letter - they just treated it as if I entered the US on an expired green card alone. But after some questioning, in addition to searching my record, they were able to verify my residency, and allow me to re-enter.

 

After the whole ordeal, I told my wife that I'm never leaving the US again (...until I get my US passport )

Edited July 14, 2017 by silvershadow369

[LUAL 43]

2 hours ago, nightingalejules said:

 

@LUAL is incorrect. There is no particular timeline for getting the stamp. In theory you don't need the stamp at all, since your status doesn't change during the process until they adjudicate your application. If you want to travel (or if you need the stamp to get a new job or a drivers licence or a mortgage), you can make an infopass and get the stamp even after the expiration of the extension. 

The USCIS officer told me that they CANNOT give the stamp if we are more than 3 months from the expiration day. So no, I am not incorrect, I am just reporting what they told me. 

 

Also, the stamp is necessary for a new job/travel so I highly suggest to get it before the expiration of the extension letter.

[LUAL 43]

14 minutes ago, drex33 said:

Can someone add me to the list? Thank you!

 

Filed: 7/23/2016

NOA: 7/25/2016

Bio: 9/30/2016

pending.....

 

May I ask why so long between NOA and bio? were there any issues?

[drex33 12]

14 minutes ago, LUAL said:

May I ask why so long between NOA and bio? were there any issues?

Not that i know of, CSC took awhile to schedule an appointment and it wasn't just me, there were few people i know of who filed around the same time and their bio were even in October.

[AK_2014 113]

31 minutes ago, LUAL said:

The USCIS officer told me that they CANNOT give the stamp if we are more than 3 months from the expiration day. So no, I am not incorrect, I am just reporting what they told me. 

 

Also, the stamp is necessary for a new job/travel so I highly suggest to get it before the expiration of the extension letter.

Three months before expiration day, or three months after? I've heard plenty of people report not being able to get a stamp more than one month before the expiration of the letter, but this is the first I've heard of a potential time limit after expiration, so just double-checking. Thanks! :-)

[elin123 0]

53 minutes ago, silvershadow369 said:

While we're all still waiting, can I just share a horrible traveling experience I went through recently in hopes that others don't make the same mistake that I did:

 

TL;DR: Carry the ORIGINAL NOA extension letter with you when traveling, not a copy.

 

I went on a 2 week vacation to Europe with my expired green card and a copy of the NOA extension letter (i.e. not the original). Before I could leave Europe (Amsterdam Schiphol Airport) to return to the US, passport control detained me for about 25 minutes to verify that I could enter the US, as they didn't accept the copy of the NOA letter. Then, when entering the US (Chicago O'Hare Airport), I was detained again for 15 minutes, as they too didn't accept the copy of the NOA. Fortunately, US border patrol could easily look up my info and see that I was still a legal permanent resident with a ROC pending. Yes, this was very foolish of me to travel with a copy of the letter and not the original. But for anybody else that needs to travel soon, please take the original with you, and keep a copy at home. Nobody likes to be detained at any airport!

 

And just to comment on what someone else said...

 

 

You can certainly take a chance with this. This is sort of what happened with me (expect my NOA was still valid). They wouldn't even look at the copy of my NOA letter - they just treated it as if I entered the US on an expired green card alone. But after some questioning, in addition to searching my record, they were able to verify my residency, and allow me to re-enter.

 

After the whole ordeal, I told my wife that I'm never leaving the US again (...until I get my US passport )

Hey! I am traveling in august and also will be coming back to O'hare. My last name is misspelled on my NOA. I asked my lawyer and infopass officer if it's ok to travel. Both said that's fine. You said they check your record based on the GC number? so they don't even look at NOA? and what about airline agents? do they check only GC? 

[silvershadow369 18]

9 minutes ago, elin123 said:

Hey! I am traveling in august and also will be coming back to O'hare. My last name is misspelled on my NOA. I asked my lawyer and infopass officer if it's ok to travel. Both said that's fine. You said they check your record based on the GC number? so they don't even look at NOA? and what about airline agents? do they check only GC? 

I believe that should be fine. Yes, they search on your GC number. They also asked me additional questions like where do I work, what do I do, etc. They would look at your NOA if it is the original document. But because I only had the copy with me, they didn't look at it. Airline agents also need to look at the original NOA. In fact, they need to more than others, because (no disrespect), at least border officials are familiar about people with expired GC + extension letter, but many airline agents outside USA don't know about this, so they need to look at this and it will take some explaining on your end to let you onboard.

Edited July 14, 2017 by silvershadow369

[drex33 12]

How many July approvals from CSC so far? 

[LUAL 43]

54 minutes ago, AK_2014 said:

Three months before expiration day, or three months after? I've heard plenty of people report not being able to get a stamp more than one month before the expiration of the letter, but this is the first I've heard of a potential time limit after expiration, so just double-checking. Thanks! :-)

My 2 years GC expired on 9/27/2016, I got the NOA which extended the GC to 9/27/2017. I went to an infopass appointment a week ago where they told me that they won't give the passport stamp until 3 months from the 9/27/2017 date, which is 6/27/2017... so I was passed that, they gave it to me. Again, the USCIS officer said he would not have given me the stamp if I would have gone before 6/27/2017. Now the stamp on my passport is good until July 2018 (a year from when I got the stamp).

33 minutes ago, drex33 said:

How many July approvals from CSC so far? 

See page 54 for details. Not many. I think we (july CSC filer) will see approvals coming by the end of August.

[AK_2014 113]

4 minutes ago, LUAL said:

My 2 years GC expired on 9/27/2016, I got the NOA which extended the GC to 9/27/2017. I went to an infopass appointment a week ago where they told me that they won't give the passport stamp until 3 months from the 9/27/2017 date, which is 6/27/2017... so I was passed that, they gave it to me. Again, the USCIS officer said he would not have given me the stamp if I would have gone before 6/27/2017. Now the stamp on my passport is good until July 2018 (a year from when I got the stamp).

See page 54 for details. Not many. I think we (july CSC filer) will see approvals coming by the end of August.

This makes sense -- thanks for clarifying!

[dream3r 2]

My extension letter expires Jul-31,2017. I had an infopass appointment on Jul-5 At USCIS San Jose Field office for I-551 stamp valid through Jul-4, 2018. When I asked the officer at the counter, he said my case was still pending CSC.  I am starting to think whatever status we check from USCIS website, is the same thing they are seeing.

[nightingalejules 678]

4 hours ago, LUAL said:

The USCIS officer told me that they CANNOT give the stamp if we are more than 3 months from the expiration day. So no, I am not incorrect, I am just reporting what they told me. 

 

Also, the stamp is necessary for a new job/travel so I highly suggest to get it before the expiration of the extension letter.

You're right in that they often won't give the stamp too far in advance. But that wasn't the question. Can you get the stamp after the extension's expiry? Yes. Do you need to get it at all? Possibly not, if you're not planning to travel outside the US, and if you have a full-term driver's license. With a valid driver's license and a SSN, you can get a new job without needing your green card/letter/stamp at all.

[dream3r 2]

4 hours ago, silvershadow369 said:

While we're all still waiting, can I just share a horrible traveling experience I went through recently in hopes that others don't make the same mistake that I did:

 

TL;DR: Carry the ORIGINAL NOA extension letter with you when traveling, not a copy.

 

I went on a 2 week vacation to Europe with my expired green card and a copy of the NOA extension letter (i.e. not the original). Before I could leave Europe (Amsterdam Schiphol Airport) to return to the US, passport control detained me for about 25 minutes to verify that I could enter the US, as they didn't accept the copy of the NOA letter. Then, when entering the US (Chicago O'Hare Airport), I was detained again for 15 minutes, as they too didn't accept the copy of the NOA. Fortunately, US border patrol could easily look up my info and see that I was still a legal permanent resident with a ROC pending. Yes, this was very foolish of me to travel with a copy of the letter and not the original. But for anybody else that needs to travel soon, please take the original with you, and keep a copy at home. Nobody likes to be detained at any airport!

 

And just to comment on what someone else said...

 

 

You can certainly take a chance with this. This is sort of what happened with me (expect my NOA was still valid). They wouldn't even look at the copy of my NOA letter - they just treated it as if I entered the US on an expired green card alone. But after some questioning, in addition to searching my record, they were able to verify my residency, and allow me to re-enter.

 

After the whole ordeal, I told my wife that I'm never leaving the US again (...until I get my US passport )

 

I brought the original NOA letter whenever I travel, I always ensure it's clipped together with my passport and Green Card. And I have scanned copies on my email/phone (retrievable offline), and hard copies along with me. I was paranoid, and I wanted to make sure I had back up copies, and that, if I were the officer validating credentials, I would be certain to take more time to validate the copies vs. the originals. that's just me.

 

Anyway, I traveled few countries in the past year, Amsterdam, Paris, Morocco, and South east Asia. Did not have issues with Schiphol airport (Amsterdam). But I almost missed my flight out of Marakesh (Morocco) heading back to state side, because the check-in counter would recognize the extension letter, and insisted the date on my green card had expired. I had to point and read out the sentence where the extension date was noted on the letter. The lady over the counter had to call in her supervisor, who then had to call someone who validated from US CBP/USCIS website, that the letter, is listed as one of the approved travel document into US.