Need to fly back home due to a family emergency, but I have NOT YET received my green card in the mail, and MRIV expiration date passed

[Sabela 16]

I need help. I entered the country with a CR1 visa recently. However, I need to fly back home due to a family emergency, but I have NOT YET received my green card in the mail, and the expiration date on my visa already expired few days ago (see attached). WHAT CAN I DO? I never thought I'd find myself in this situation Thanks for your help

[Jordanian Bride 268]

Your I-551 stamp acts as a temporary green card from the date it was stamped up to one year (Dec 12, 2023).

[Verrou 1,962]

U can use ur adit stamp on ur passport, it is valid to show u as LPR

[iwannaplay54 985]

See the note at the bottom?  Your visa was endorsed 12/12/22, and is evidence of LPR status for a year.  You can travel as you wish using the endorsed visa.

[Sabela 16]

Thank you all: @Jordanian Bride, @Misscloud, @iwannaplay54. And yes, I see the bottom of my visa. However, I found this in a legal encyclopedia online: "The stamp in your passport will have an expiration date on it, which is usually six months from when it was placed there. As long as the expiration date hasn't passed, and won't pass while you are away from the U.S., you are free to travel and present this document upon return.". This is NOT my case :S :S

Also, another website: "As long as the stamp is not past the expiration date on the CBP admission stamp on your visa, you are free to travel.".  My visa says it expires on 15DEC2022, and the STAMP says Dec. 12, 2022 (so, this year, not 2023 ). I am scared they won't let me back

[iwannaplay54 985]

3 minutes ago, Sabela said:

Thank you all: @Jordanian Bride, @Misscloud, @iwannaplay54. And yes, I see the bottom of my visa. However, I found this in a legal encyclopedia online: "The stamp in your passport will have an expiration date on it, which is usually six months from when it was placed there. As long as the expiration date hasn't passed, and won't pass while you are away from the U.S., you are free to travel and present this document upon return.". This is NOT my case :S :S

Also, another website: "As long as the stamp is not past the expiration date on the CBP admission stamp on your visa, you are free to travel.".  My visa says it expires on 15DEC2022, and the STAMP says Dec. 12, 2022 (so, this year, not 2023 ). I am scared they won't let me back

That date is how long you have to activate the visa and enter the US.  You have done so.  You have a year after that entry date for that green card to come in.

The stamp is the “endorsement date”.  

Make sure you paid the “green card fee” -and travel as you wish.

 

Edited December 25, 2022 by iwannaplay54

[Boiler 45,445]

You can travel with the stamp or wait for the Green Card.

[Jordanian Bride 268]

47 minutes ago, Sabela said:

Thank you all: @Jordanian Bride, @Misscloud, @iwannaplay54. And yes, I see the bottom of my visa. However, I found this in a legal encyclopedia online: "The stamp in your passport will have an expiration date on it, which is usually six months from when it was placed there. As long as the expiration date hasn't passed, and won't pass while you are away from the U.S., you are free to travel and present this document upon return.". This is NOT my case :S :S

Also, another website: "As long as the stamp is not past the expiration date on the CBP admission stamp on your visa, you are free to travel.".  My visa says it expires on 15DEC2022, and the STAMP says Dec. 12, 2022 (so, this year, not 2023 ). I am scared they won't let me back

Do these websites matter more than what the visa itself says? “Upon endorsement serves as temporary I-551 evidencing permanent residence for 1 year”.
 

The visa’s purpose has been fulfilled, so it is irrelevant now. Your stamp is your proof of permanent residence now.

Edited December 25, 2022 by Jordanian Bride

[Lil bear 4,181]

You are confusing the “visa”  with the “stamped visa”

 

The visa allows you to enter the USA one time only and upon entry be granted LPR status. Entry must  be before the expiry of the visa .. 15 Dec 2022  After entering,  the visa is now finished as a visa document 

 

At entry, the CBP officer will place a stamp on or adjacent to the visa which shows the date you entered the US using  the visa and became an LPR on entry   You only state “recently” so l will just pick a date .. Dec 1 2022.  For 12 months after entry on Dec 1 2022, the “stamped visa” can be used as evidence of your LPR status, while you wait for the physical Green Card to be sent to you 

 

You have everything you need to travel overseas and return yo the US.. your foreign passport and its enclosed “stamped visa”. 

Edited December 25, 2022 by Lil bear

[powerpuff 6,677]

~~ Topic moved from CR1/IR1 forum to Working & Traveling during US immigration ~~
 

 

[Loren Y 2,755]

You can come and go as you wish with the stamp. My stepson arrived on November 9th, same stamp ( FX2 category), but same thing I551 stamp. Same day we entered we traveled to Mexico and reentered a few days after with no issues. His green card just showed up last week, so it is taking about 45 days for the green card to arrive in the mail. You can wait for the green card( Not necessary), or leave today it you want. Obviously come back before December 12th 2023, or have someone mail you your green card when it arrives if you are going to be gone over 11 months. I would try to not be gone for more than 6 months to be on the safe side.

 

Edited December 25, 2022 by Loren Y

[Sabela 16]

This group is amazing, and it's because of the people who make it. THANK YOU ALL for your responses. It is clear to me now that I can travel no problem with my stamped visa and come back to the USA for this family issue. The situation is stressful as is, so thank you for relieving some discomfort regarding my travel. Thanks again.

[nastra30 2,284]

2 hours ago, Sabela said:

This group is amazing, and it's because of the people who make it. THANK YOU ALL for your responses. It is clear to me now that I can travel no problem with my stamped visa and come back to the USA for this family issue. The situation is stressful as is, so thank you for relieving some discomfort regarding my travel. Thanks again.

Ditto. All the best with the family emergency.

Edited December 26, 2022 by nastra30

[Mike E 11,739]

15 hours ago, Sabela said:

This group is amazing, and it's because of the people who make it. THANK YOU ALL for your responses. It is clear to me now that I can travel no problem with my stamped visa and come back to the USA for this family issue. The situation is stressful as is, so thank you for relieving some discomfort regarding my travel. Thanks again.

Legally you can use it. Practically some under trained airline employees won’t let you.  
 

See,

 

I would avoid traveling on these three airlines:

 

* Delta

* Spirit (the airline listed in the post I linked) 

* Turkish 

 

All three have stranded LPRs with valid I-551s.  
 

Whatever you do, don’t stay abroad more than 180 days and don’t let your I-551 expire before coming back to the USA. And don’t be tempted to have someone mail you your green card.

[iwannaplay54 985]

Mike E sent valuable advice ^^^^  Do not let that green card get mailed around.

Edited December 26, 2022 by iwannaplay54