Returning to USA with expired GC and photocopy of extension letter.

[CallumBarker 0]

Hi all,

 

So I'm currently in the U.K., and my GC has expired while here. I'm traveling to the US on Friday from Heathrow, and my GC was extended while it gets renewed, but I only have a photocopy of my GC extension letter. Does anyone have any experience with this, will the copy be sufficient proof that it was in fact extended, and I'll be allowed to travel? Othrrwise, would it be wise for me to enter under ESTA, or will that just complicate matters?

 

Any help much appreciated.

[charmander 692]

 

[f f 725]

esta would complicate things badly. can you have someone bring the orginal to the airport and give it to cbp so they can match it with you when you try to enter. or have it mailed to you in the uk. 

[CallumBarker 0]

I don't think there's time for it to arrive here in the U.K., so it'll have to probably be the photocopy. I've seen a couple of instances of that being fine, but just wanted to know if there's much possibility I'll get turned away, because that would be dreadful (traveling for a funeral). I'll definitely avoid ESTA if that'll just complicate things.

[Hypnos 6,578]

I've seen people post they were denied entry due to using a photocopy and not the original. 

[GreatDane 366]

We used a photocopy and were fine. They asked why it was a photocopy, instead of the original. We were honest and said it was too valuable of a piece of paper to take traveling and that we had it locked at home in our safe. 

[GreatDane 366]

If you're travelling to the US for a funeral and not 'back home', you might run into other issues - such as what is your primary residence. If you are outside the US six months of any one year period, your US residence can be deemed abandoned. Not sure if this applies at all.

[CallumBarker 0]

Ah, I've actually been temporarily studying here, going to be returning once it's all done. I do still have a residence, bank account, pay taxes etc. in the US, just away for a few months. I'm just super stressed about the photocopy, I know I should have the original but I left it in the US, and my green card and was still valid when I left in the first place...

[zuluweta 250]

On 3/1/2017 at 10:17 AM, CallumBarker said:

Ah, I've actually been temporarily studying here, going to be returning once it's all done. I do still have a residence, bank account, pay taxes etc. in the US, just away for a few months. I'm just super stressed about the photocopy, I know I should have the original but I left it in the US, and my green card and was still valid when I left in the first place...

So, were you able to successfully re-enter the USA using a photocopy of the extension letter and GC?

 

I might have to travel in a few months and I will be in the same situation so I'm curious to know what happened.

[CallumBarker 0]

I was indeed allowed in. That said, the border guard wasn't exactly cooperative, that which took us both aback, asking questions that honestly were fairly ludicrous to me in hindsight, like 'on what day did you meet your wife? How long exactly have you lived together to the closest month?' etc, both of which we couldn't reasonably and accurately answer in our jet-lagged haze. He then responded with 'you know you're not supposed to enter and reenter the USA, and you know I have the power to not let you into the country, right?' To which I replied 'Yes, I am aware of that, however I'm going to visit a dying aunt, and I've just travelled for 14+ hours...' etc. My American wife also was having none of it, and again, ultimately everything was fine. I'm aware that it's  his job to ask these questions, but it was fairly intense, all things considered. Hope that's of some help.

[adrift 1]

Hi,

 

I am in a similar situation as yours although I do have an original extension letter that expires in 2 weeks- I am travelling in 4 days so little stressed out...I have booked an info pass appointment to get one year extension..

 

I currently hold 2 nationalities- I have recently started using my UK passport to travel but all my previous visits to US have been on my Pakistani passport (the one I used to apply for green card) ..my question is " does it matter if I use a different passport to the one I used in the past to enter US? or shall I stick to the one I used originally to apply and have traveled in the past?