Back from traveling to Scotland with the letter..

[tammiandtom 0]

Just got back from an 18 day trip to Scotland, and my husband travelled with his extension letter. Everything went fine with that! This guy in Edinburgh airport didn't know what to do with it (it was the day after the car crash in Glasgow so security was tight), but another lady came over and showed him what to do. He had the nerve to say to us "you know you really should get yoru greencard updated, this letter makes things awkward". We mentioned something about the US taking 9 months or more to update greencards. I hate ignorance like that. We just let it go though, because we know we've applied and we know the letter gives us the right to travel!

It was smooth sailing when we got to US immigration of course (and he was able to go in my line! - Newark).

[richie894 0]

I don't understand your post. If your husband is from Scotland and has a British passport, why did he even need to show his greencard or letter. Could he not just enter as a British Citizen on his British passport?

I thought the extension letter would be needed on his way back when re-entering the USA.

[miri 0]

Thanks for your update -- it's good to know that everything went smoothly (I'm travelling to Europe next week, and then again in August, and unless Vermont suddenly manages to process everything this week I'll be using my extension letter). I'm not sure I'd be as calm as you though if faced with some idiot telling me I should update my GC!!!

richie -- my experience is that whilst you certainly don't need to show anything pertaining to US residency when entering the UK, it's when you're leaving -- i.e. checking in for your flight back and dealing with all the paranoid pre-check-in security gubbins -- that you have to show the clerk your greencard as non-immigrants now need to fill in a form with the address for where they'll be staying on arrival (which us immigrants don't need to fill in). I suspect this is when the whole letter thing came into play. I'll be doing it in Milan, so things should be interesting, given I don't speak a word of Italian...

[tammiandtom 0]

richie - exactly what miri stated. He needed his greencard and letter at Edinburgh airport on the way home, as well as arriving in the US. They scan in your passport for check in and it alerts them that he has a greencard. They need to enter all that information.

It was strange, but when we were leaving Newark to go TO Scotland, someone at the gate did ask to see his greencard, but he didn't want to see the letter. The guy was checking passports as we left and he asked for the greencard also. That was new to us.