Travel With I-551 Stamp While Pending I-90 Due to USCIS Error

[Kürbis&Tannenbaum 21]

Hey there, My husband (USC) and me (CPR) are planning a 2 week trip to visit family in Germany. From reading previous forum posts, I'm 90% sure that I will be able to travel abroad and come back to the US just fine with only an I-551 passport stamp, but I was hoping someone could give me a piece of mind. 🙄

 

Backstory:  I came here on a K-1 visa; we got married; filed for AOS; received green card.  Turns out that our green card had a 10 year validity date, although we were married for less than 2 years at the time we filed for AOS.  We sent the green card back to USCIS in June 2021 (filed a free I-90, indicating USCIS error), and since then I don't have a physical green card.  We will be filing for ROC this summer and want to go to Germany after we filed.  We are planning to travel in September (and be back before October, when my green card would expire - had I received a 2 year green card..).

I made an info pass appointment at the local USCIS office back in October 2021, and got an I-551 passport stamp, evidencing permanent residency for 1 year.

 

My understanding is that while my I-90 case is pending, the I-551 stamp in my passport is sufficient to travel internationally and return to the US  (as long as I return before October 2022, when the stamp expires and coincidentally also my green card should expire if we get the replacement card in the meantime).

Could someone please confirm if this is correct, or if I need any additional documents besides the I-551 stamp + passport to board an airplane and be let back into the US?

Do I maybe even need a new I-551 stamp after we filed for ROC, since that happens before we travel?  I.e. does filing for ROC change the status of the I-551 passport stamp in any case?

 

Thank you so much!!  😀

 

 

[Lil bear 4,222]

27 minutes ago, Kürbis&Tannenbaum said:

Hey there, My husband (USC) and me (CPR) are planning a 2 week trip to visit family in Germany. From reading previous forum posts, I'm 90% sure that I will be able to travel abroad and come back to the US just fine with only an I-551 passport stamp, but I was hoping someone could give me a piece of mind. 🙄

 

Backstory:  I came here on a K-1 visa; we got married; filed for AOS; received green card.  Turns out that our green card had a 10 year validity date, although we were married for less than 2 years at the time we filed for AOS.  We sent the green card back to USCIS in June 2021 (filed a free I-90, indicating USCIS error), and since then I don't have a physical green card.  We will be filing for ROC this summer and want to go to Germany after we filed.  We are planning to travel in September (and be back before October, when my green card would expire - had I received a 2 year green card..).

I made an info pass appointment at the local USCIS office back in October 2021, and got an I-551 passport stamp, evidencing permanent residency for 1 year.

 

My understanding is that while my I-90 case is pending, the I-551 stamp in my passport is sufficient to travel internationally and return to the US  (as long as I return before October 2022, when the stamp expires and coincidentally also my green card should expire if we get the replacement card in the meantime).

Could someone please confirm if this is correct, or if I need any additional documents besides the I-551 stamp + passport to board an airplane and be let back into the US?

Do I maybe even need a new I-551 stamp after we filed for ROC, since that happens before we travel?  I.e. does filing for ROC change the status of the I-551 passport stamp in any case?

 

Thank you so much!!  😀

 

 

Yes you are fine to travel with the I 551 stamp as long as it is not past its expiry date 

No change of status by filing for ROC. 

Assuming you filed I90 for GC replacement, just carry the I797 NOA for that application as well as the I797 for the ROC.  While they are not needed, they fill out your “story” of why you are traveling on the stamp 

[Mike E 11,739]

Back in the golden age, at my I-485 interview I received an I-551 stamp and traveled with it just fine.  

[Kürbis&Tannenbaum 21]

3 hours ago, Lil bear said:

Yes you are fine to travel with the I 551 stamp as long as it is not past its expiry date 

No change of status by filing for ROC. 

Assuming you filed I90 for GC replacement, just carry the I797 NOA for that application as well as the I797 for the ROC.  While they are not needed, they fill out your “story” of why you are traveling on the stamp 

Okay, that's a good tip! It didn't occur to me that I might get the ROC NOA1 in time for travelling.  If I do; I'll definitely bring it along with the NOA1 I received after filing the I-90.  Thank you!!

[Kürbis&Tannenbaum 21]

24 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Back in the golden age, at my I-485 interview I received an I-551 stamp and traveled with it just fine.  

That's reassuring!  We haven't travelled abroad since I arrived in the US about 3 years ago, so we felt a bit unsure. Thank you for your reply!