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Traveling With I-551 Stamp In Expired Passport

By SBPWAD in Adjustment of Status (Green Card) from K1 and K3 Family Based Visas

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SBPWAD Rookie

SBPWAD   2

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Filed: Timeline
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My wife and I have run into a bit of a problem. We had our AOS interview today and it was approved on the spot. Due to a family emergency, the officer agreed to put a temporary I-551 stamp in my wife's passport so that she could travel ASAP. However, we had brought some expired passports of hers to present old visas, etc. if necessary and when the officer put the stamp in one of her expired passports.

 

Does anyone have experience with anything even remotely close to this? If she travels with both passports, should her I-551 stamp still be valid?

 

Also, I was planning on traveling with her, so if she leaves the country without the physical green card, will she be able to re-enter as long as I wait here for the physical card and take it to her when I fly?

 

Otherwise, we could drive back to the field office to get another stamp, but it's rather far away from our home and would be difficult to accomadate.

 

Thanks!

D.Ba Enthusiast

D.Ba   85

Posted
Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Germany
 Timeline
Posted

It is only remotely similar, but: Many years ago I had a visa in my passport. The passport expired and, as is custom in Germany, they stamp 3 holes through it and you can take it home. They did not punch through the visa since it was still valid, independent of the passport. They said I could travel with my new passport as passport and the old passport for the visa. So, they were kind of independent.

SBPWAD Rookie

SBPWAD   2

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Filed: Timeline
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Yeah, she has done the same with the tourist visa in her expired passport. We just don't have any experience (or know anyone else who does) with a) this kind of stamp and b) having a start date later than the expiration of the passport as a whole. We're going to try and call USCIS tomorrow morning and see if they can give us some guidance.

Edited by SBPWAD
randomstairs Community Regular

randomstairs   309

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Timeline
Posted
1 hour ago, SBPWAD said:

Yeah, she has done the same with the tourist visa in her expired passport. We just don't have any experience (or know anyone else who does) with a) this kind of stamp and b) having a start date later than the expiration of the passport as a whole. We're going to try and call USCIS tomorrow morning and see if they can give us some guidance.

She should be fine with the valid stamp in expired passport and the new valid passport. I'm pretty sure that since this works well with non-immigrant visas, it should work for LPRs. You may want to contact the CBP too since they are the ones making the decisions at PoE. Absolutely worst case: getting a transport letter from the US embassy before returning. 

03/04/2016 AOS (EB2-NIW concurrent with I-485) mailed to Lewisville TX Lockbox
03/07/2016 AOS delivered to USCIS and signed
03/12/2016 Case received by Nebraska Service Center (NSC)
03/14/2016 Text notification received for I-140/I-485/I-765/I-131.
04/08/2016 Biometrics notice received for 04/21
04/13/2016 Biometrics early walk-in completed.
04/15/2016 EAD/AP combo card received in mail.

 

Long wait begins...

 

11/04/2016 I-140/485 cases transferred from Nebraska to TCS
12/01/2016 Prepared package for EAD/AP renewal (expires 04/09/2017)
12/23/2016 USCIS suddenly changes several forms, invalidating my EAD/AP renewal package (not yet sent)
12/27/2016 USCIS suddenly reforms the entire NIW criteria system, replacing a 20 years old one. Uncharted waters. 
01/07/2017 (Saturday!) EAD/AP renewal package with new forms received in Phoenix "reception desk"
01/17/2017 EAD/AP renewal case accepted; text/email with receipt numbers was received
01/30/2017 Law firm finally confirms that USCIS has suspended processing all EB2-NIW cases due to new criteria. 
02/23/2017 USCIS slowly starts adjudicating NIW cases again.
04/21/2017 Extended EAD/AP received in mail. Valid for 2 years. 
05/06/2017 Received a massive RFE on I-140 NIW case.
07/20/2017 RFE response received by USCIS (a very long response with 30 pages of docs)
09/14/2017 I-140 NIW approved!!! 
11/28/2017 RFE for new medical issued (plus another request re Supp J for employment which is clearly issued in error)
12/04/2017 RFE received in mail
12/07/2017 repeated medical exam for I-485
12/08/2017 Attorney receives documents for responding to I-485 RFE
12/21/2017 Response to RFE received by USCIS 
02/09/2018 I-485 approval (text, email) :)
02/08/2018 I-485 approval notice issued (the "welcome letter") - I'm LPR now
02/16/2018 Green card received
 
11/14/2022 Filed N-400 online; receipt and biometrics reuse form received online
03/07/2023 N-400 Interview scheduled 
04/xx/2023 N-400 approved, same-day Oath ceremony completed. I'm a US citizen.
05/xx/2023 US passport in hand

 

SBPWAD Rookie

SBPWAD   2

Posted
Filed: Timeline
  • Author
Posted

We talked to two CBP officers at two ports of entry and they both said it would be fine as long as she travels with both passports. We'll be trying to confirm this with USCIS before we leave the country, though (and crossing our fingers that the physical card arrives and solves the problem all together).

 
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