Is a Reentry permit valid if GC and extension letter is expired? (merged)

[Ontarkie 14,192]

~~Related questions merged with existing thread as context is needed.~~

[Dashinka 24,372]

9 hours ago, ositakl said:

A flight to Guam is 80% cheaper and faster for me than Hawaii or another state. Would this be feasible? 

So now I see, you are looking for a boarding foil.  This is not done at a USCIS field office, but rather at a US consulate.  You most likely will not be allowed to board a flight to Guam until you get a foil.

[ositakl 1]

4 minutes ago, Dashinka said:

So now I see, you are looking for a boarding foil.  This is not done at a USCIS field office, but rather at a US consulate.  You most likely will not be allowed to board a flight to Guam until you get a foil.

Yeah sorry, my other thread was merged without the title so it seemed out of place. 

 

I'm figuring I'd just get a boarding foil to get to Guam and get the i551 then return to my country for a few more months while I get my stuff situated. 

 

I appreciate all of the help from everyone you guys are awesome! 

[Dashinka 24,372]

24 minutes ago, ositakl said:

Yeah sorry, my other thread was merged without the title so it seemed out of place. 

 

I'm figuring I'd just get a boarding foil to get to Guam and get the i551 then return to my country for a few more months while I get my stuff situated. 

 

I appreciate all of the help from everyone you guys are awesome! 

No worries.  I would have someone check your mail as already suggested.  You might already have a new extension letter, and can avoid a trip to the consulate/Guam USCIS office, and an international FedEx envelope is much cheaper.

 

Good Luck!

Edited November 25, 2022 by Dashinka

[ositakl 1]

5 minutes ago, Dashinka said:

No worries.  I would have someone check your mail as already suggested.  You might already have a new extension letter, and can avoid a trip to the consulate/Guam USCIS office, and an international FedEx envelope is much cheaper.

 

Good Luck!

Unfortunately there's nothing that was sent out. I wish there was that would be perfect right now. 

 

I called to schedule an i-551 and they said they'll call us back within 30 days, which is another stressor because we have to hope everything falls in line with the boarding foil I'm also about to schedule. So fun! 

[Mike E 11,739]

10 hours ago, ositakl said:

A flight to Guam is 80% cheaper and faster for me than Hawaii or another state. Would this be feasible? 

What is your country of citizenship?

[ositakl 1]

14 minutes ago, Mike E said:

What is your country of citizenship?

S. Korea

[Mike E 11,739]

14 minutes ago, ositakl said:

S. Korea

This is why you fill out your time line. Knowing that would have shortened this thread. 
 

S Koreans  have a non ESTA visa waiver for Guam.  
 

https://www.dhs.gov/guam-cnmi-visa-waiver-program

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visa-waiver-program.html

 

My understanding is you  fill out some forms at the airport (or print and fill out https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2022-Oct/CBP Form I-736(English).pdf ahead of time) and board your flight.  When you arrive in Guam, identify yourself as an LPR, expect to be required to fill out I-193 and pay the fee.  If CBP is nice to you, you might even get an I-551 stamp at the port of entry.  
 

I doubt you will get a boarding foil or SB-1 from the consulate.  
 

Since you are South Korean your other option is to fly to Canada or Mexico and walk into the USA, again identifying yourself as an LPR.  You will need eTA for Canada. I believe since your I-551 has expired, that makes you legally eligible for eTA (as of April 2022, LPRs are  exempt from eTA and technically not permitted to get eTA).  

[ositakl 1]

1 hour ago, Mike E said:

This is why you fill out your time line. Knowing that would have shortened this thread. 
 

S Koreans  have a non ESTA visa waiver for Guam.  
 

https://www.dhs.gov/guam-cnmi-visa-waiver-program

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visa-waiver-program.html

 

My understanding is you  fill out some forms at the airport (or print and fill out https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2022-Oct/CBP Form I-736(English).pdf ahead of time) and board your flight.  When you arrive in Guam, identify yourself as an LPR, expect to be required to fill out I-193 and pay the fee.  If CBP is nice to you, you might even get an I-551 stamp at the port of entry.  
 

I doubt you will get a boarding foil or SB-1 from the consulate.  
 

Since you are South Korean your other option is to fly to Canada or Mexico and walk into the USA, again identifying yourself as an LPR.  You will need eTA for Canada. I believe since your I-551 has expired, that makes you legally eligible for eTA (as of April 2022, LPRs are  exempt from eTA and technically not permitted to get eTA).  

I apologize for that. This is my second account. My first one was disabled when I tried to sign in via Google, but I'll try to update it asap!

 

 

--

 

So that's a new and interesting method. We're looking into it right now and it seems like a possibility. But we're kind of confused because other people are saying to do the boarding foil route and you presented this option. 

 

By the way I am able to get an ESTA for around $20. To avoid everything, do you think I can just fly to Guam on an ESTA and deal with the i551 when I get there or will they probably deny me/ask questions because of my status? I'd hate to waste money on a boarding foil if I didn't need to or if it doesn't even work in the end. 

Edited November 26, 2022 by ositakl

[Mike E 11,739]

36 minutes ago, ositakl said:

 

 

So that's a new and interesting method. We're looking into it right now and it seems like a possibility. But we're kind of confused because other people are saying to do the boarding foil route and you presented this option.

That’s because they didn’t know you had a visa waiver for Canada / Mexico.     Citizenship and current physical location matter. 
 

 I’m one of the few aware that citizens of two handfuls of countries can fly to Guam without visa and esta. It is a rather obscure provision, but then again Guam and CNMI are obscure territories. 
 

Quote

 

By the way I am able to get an ESTA for around $20.

You aren’t legally entitled to esta and the terms and conditions of Visajourney’s website prevent me from advising you to do that.  

 

Quote

To avoid everything,

what is “everything”?

 

Quote

 

do you think I can just fly to Guam on an ESTA

Not  Legally. And there is a decent chance esta will be denied. And if so you will possibly foreclose the option of the paper visa waiver I gave you: when the airline sends  its passenger manifest to CBP before takeoff, CBP might say: “oh Ositaki was denied esta and now is trying  the back door.  Nope, remove that passenger  from the flight”

 

Quote

and deal with the i551 when I get there or will they probably deny me/ask questions because of my status?

LPRs cannot be denied entry into the USA once they  arrive at a port of entry. 
 

LPRs and for that matter U.S. citizens can be denied boarding.  
 

Quote

I'd hate to waste money on a boarding foil if I didn't need to or if it doesn't even work in the end. 

A Boarding foil is absolutely a waste of time and money because of your citizenship.          

 

 And as I’ve written, even though the process (I-131a) starts with USCIS, it needs with a U.S. consulate and I think the consulate will deny.  
 

Edited November 26, 2022 by Mike E

[ositakl 1]

On 11/26/2022 at 10:32 AM, Mike E said:

That’s because they didn’t know you had a visa waiver for Canada / Mexico.     Citizenship and current physical location matter. 
 

 I’m one of the few aware that citizens of two handfuls of countries can fly to Guam without visa and esta. It is a rather obscure provision, but then again Guam and CNMI are obscure territories. 
 

You aren’t legally entitled to esta and the terms and conditions of Visajourney’s website prevent me from advising you to do that.  

 

what is “everything”?

 

Not  Legally. And there is a decent chance esta will be denied. And if so you will possibly foreclose the option of the paper visa waiver I gave you: when the airline sends  its passenger manifest to CBP before takeoff, CBP might say: “oh Ositaki was denied esta and now is trying  the back door.  Nope, remove that passenger  from the flight”

 

LPRs cannot be denied entry into the USA once they  arrive at a port of entry. 
 

LPRs and for that matter U.S. citizens can be denied boarding.  
 

A Boarding foil is absolutely a waste of time and money because of your citizenship.          

 

 And as I’ve written, even though the process (I-131a) starts with USCIS, it needs with a U.S. consulate and I think the consulate will deny.  
 

Alright, we have decided to go with the Guam option using the CNMI waiver. 

 

On form i-736, it asks if I have ever applied for an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa for the US before. 

I have, then it asks follow on questions.

I'm worried that that this can flag me from entering Guam once I get there. Wouldn't this raise suspicion if I've applied for a visa (although expired) and I'm trying to get into Guam? 

 

Also, I have an appointment set, but when I scheduled it, the officer said I should have an address for Guam that I need to present the officers during my appointment because they are supposed to schedule me only at the nearest office from my residence, which is in Seattle but I cannot get into Seattle because my GC is expired. 

 

 

Can I get any guidance? I'll be traveling with a baby and it would be rough to get sent back to korea right away 😂. 

 

 

 

[Mike E 11,739]

You aren’t going to use that form when you land in Guam.  At passport control in Guam you declare that you are an LPR.  Put that form away before you get to passport control.  Be prepared to pay the I-193 fee.  
 

This is the first I’ve heard about a baby.  That’s a complication.  
 

Who are the parents?

Edited December 21, 2022 by Mike E

[ositakl 1]

44 minutes ago, Mike E said:

You aren’t going to use that form when you land in Guam.  At passport control in Guam you declare that you are an LPR.  Put that form away before you get to passport control.  Be prepared to pay the I-193 fee.  
 

This is the first I’ve heard about a baby.  That’s a complication.  
 

Who are the parents?

I see. Sorry about that, I understood that I needed to fill out that form since the Mariana islands have the agreement of no visa necessary. 

 

So just to understand, we are using this program to just get our feet on the ground in Guam. Once in Guam, it is up to us to essentially throw out the form and present the i-193 when we get to the customs section of the airport?

The officer will review it and probably ask questions and likely charge us the fee and let us enter. 

If we are lucky they could issue the i551 stamp on the spot, if not, we will just go to the appointment the following day and all should be good, regardless of our visa address being in Seattle, not Guam? 

 

The baby is mine and my spouse's, we aren't able to leave the baby home so she will be joining us. We intend to return to Korea for a couple months more before going back to the states

[Mike E 11,739]

20 minutes ago, ositakl said:

Once in Guam, it is up to us to essentially throw out the form and present the i-193 when we get to the customs section of the airport?

I said to be prepared to pay the I-193 fee.  I didn’t say to fill out the form. The CBP officer will decide if I-193 and the fee is required.  
 

Is your spouse a U.S. citizen?

 

Is your baby a U.S. citizen?

[ositakl 1]

Just now, Mike E said:

I said to be prepared to pay the I-193 fee.  I didn’t say to fill out the form. The CBP officer will decide if I-193 and the fee is required.  
 

Is your spouse a U.S. citizen?

 

Is your baby a U.S. citizen?

Oh ok gotcha. Well hopefully they don't deny us entry that would be unfortunate 

 

Yes the baby and spouse are both citizens.