MIL was approved for her IR5 - New visa expires in 5 months and 1 week?

[SimoAndYvette 0]

Hi!  We have 2 quick questions, and hopefully someone can help us.....

 

My MIL had her interview in Casablanca on 4/26.  Her IR5 visa was approved on 5/12, but expires on 10/12/17; that is only 5 months and 7 days.  However, directly under that it reads, " Upon Endorsement Serves as Temporary I-551 Permanent Resident For 1 Year".  Does this mean they will give her an extension, upon entering the U.S.?  Also, is there anyway to get that extended?  My husband was going to Morocco at the end of August, for Eid, and to prepare things for my sister-in-laws, while he is there.  He would then fly back to the U.S, with my MIL on Nov. 2nd.

 

Thanks!

Said and Yvette

[nightingalejules 678]

The visa (as it stands in her passport) is only good as long as her immigration medical is valid - which, depending on the country, is between 6-12 months. So she needs to enter the US before the visa expires. There isn't any wiggle room in that as far as I know, so you will need to get her to the US before 10/12/17.

 

"Upon Endorsement" means that once she enters the US and goes through Point of Entry Processing (they look at all the paperwork and take her photo and fingerprints, make sure she's paid the fee for her green card, etc) the "endorsed" (which is to say, verified at the border) visa will serve as her green card for a year (or until her actual green card arrives, which is usually way before that). 

 

So if, for example, she needed to turn around and go right back to Morocco immediately after arriving in the US and going through customs, she could do that, and return later, without having received her actual, physical green card.

 

One more time, to be perfectly clear: She must enter the US before the date on the visa in her passport. Once she has entered, she can come and go more or less as she pleases, but she will be rejected if she tries to cross the border with an expired visa.

[geowrian 22,337]

When she enters the US, they will endorse it and it will be valid for 1-year (from endorsement) as proof of LPR status. The green card will arrive in the mail later (and after the immigrant fee is paid).

 

You can request the embassy to extend the visa, but generally you need a compelling reason to do so (not just because you choose not to travel sooner). Normally the validity period is based on the medical or the interview, whichever came first. An extension might be possible, but they would probably need - at least - a new medical.

 

Another option is for her to come to the US sooner, then she has the 1 year period where the I-551 stamp is valid. She can fly out and return later fine. Just don't leave the US for too long because they may assume she abandoned the US residency.

[Jojo92122 1,924]

Your mother must enter the US before 10/12/17.  If she tries to enter after on November 2, she will not be allowed to board the plane for the US with an expired visa.

 

There is no extension of the visa.  

 

Upon endorsement means she gets a green card.  It's for living in the US and she must maintain her status or she will lose it.  It's not an extension of the visa.

[SimoAndYvette 0]

Thank you all so much for the clarification!  This really helped!