Buying a House while pending I-751 Ext is Exp

[nightingalejules 678]

On 11/13/2017 at 9:46 PM, prassu said:

Who was your lender? I am in the same situation my wife's income is not enough and her credit is not good. I spoke to a local credit union and they said they can't process the loan without a valid Green Card. 

Can I get I551 stamped to make it more official for lenders to give me a loan?

If you get an I-551 stamp, that stamp becomes your new, valid green card.  That's why some offices take the old, expired green card away. You no longer need it. The officer took my card when I got the stamp, but I still have a scan of it saved in my computer.

 

If a bank fails to accept the I-551 stamp, they are refusing something that is legally identical to a green card.

 

If you make an infopass appointment and explain why you need the stamp, most offices should agree to give you one. (of course, with USCIS, nothing is guaranteed)

[prassu 0]

On 11/15/2017 at 10:05 PM, nightingalejules said:

If you get an I-551 stamp, that stamp becomes your new, valid green card.  That's why some offices take the old, expired green card away. You no longer need it. The officer took my card when I got the stamp, but I still have a scan of it saved in my computer.

 

If a bank fails to accept the I-551 stamp, they are refusing something that is legally identical to a green card.

 

If you make an infopass appointment and explain why you need the stamp, most offices should agree to give you one. (of course, with USCIS, nothing is guaranteed)

Went to USCIS office they refused to stamp my passport told me to wait until my NOA expires.. I called couples of credit unions they are saying they can give me pre approval on the loan but cannot close the loan until I have my i751 approved. 

[nightingalejules 678]

37 minutes ago, prassu said:

Went to USCIS office they refused to stamp my passport told me to wait until my NOA expires.. I called couples of credit unions they are saying they can give me pre approval on the loan but cannot close the loan until I have my i751 approved. 

Well, that sucks. I'm so sorry to hear that.... the whole reason that the I-751 is such a low priority with USCIS is that they think that since we officially retain status throughout the process, it "doesn't really affect us." But the fact is that it negatively affects us in a myriad of ways, and the absence of clarity of procedure and transparency of process makes it even worse. 

Some USCIS officers are more understanding; if you can explain the reason you need the stamp even though you have a valid extension letter, they'll give you one. For example, when I was moving from OR to AZ I went to my local OR office to get the stamp, since I've heard that AZ DMV won't always accept the letter. When I explained it, they gave me a stamp, even though it was a couple of months early. So you might try another day, and hope to get a different officer.

The worst part, though, is the credit unions saying they can't close the loan unless you're approved (which may be their policy, but isn't the general rule). I would still go to other banks. Keep trying until you find one who doesn't discriminate. Call as many banks as you can (and even mortgage brokers) and explain your predicament, and ask them if they can help you. Surely someone will.

[wabbajack 0]

Same situation with me, but I filed I-751 with divorce waiver. Sofi denied my mortgage application on those grounds. I guess they actually understood that I was a legal resident, but underwriting just didn't want to take the risk that I might be denied for some reason. I'm currently trying to close on a house with a different mortgage company. We'll see how this goes.

[PolarPear 8]

On 3/21/2018 at 2:12 PM, wabbajack said:

Same situation with me, but I filed I-751 with divorce waiver. Sofi denied my mortgage application on those grounds. I guess they actually understood that I was a legal resident, but underwriting just didn't want to take the risk that I might be denied for some reason. I'm currently trying to close on a house with a different mortgage company. We'll see how this goes.

Any updates here?