Travel with the extension letter

[chri'stina 190]

Does anyone have experience of traveling with the extension letter(NOA)?

My husband is debating a trip to India in the fall, but he thinks he will have a hard time traveling with the extension letter. I told him that I'm sure in India they have seen extension letters before, but he still thinks they will give him a hard time in the US and India since his GC would be expired by then (though he has the extension).

Anyone use it and the immigration officers not know what it is or give you a hard time? Or was it fine?

[eau_xplain 2]

Here's an experience shared by Cassie.

[chri'stina 190]

Thanks for the link.

[tweety 1]

Hi Stina,

He might want to look into getting his passport stamped, as Reinhard posted some offices seem to do it without problems.

Armed with both the stamped passport and extension letter, he might feel a little safer about traveling to India.

Anyway, I just saw it in your signature Congrats!!!! So happy for your both. Do you already have an estimated birth/delivery date?

Tanja

[chri'stina 190]

Thanks Tanja! Est. due date is Feb 1st! In a couple weeks we'll know if it's a boy or girl.

Since our local office is the same as Reinhard's, it's encouraging to see they got it easily.

Edited August 30, 2007 by stina&suj

[Sister Fracas 5]

Hubster just came back from England for the summer with his extension letter and he said the POE officer just looked at the green card, looked at the letter, stamped the passport and said welcome home. That's it! We were expecting maybe a secondary inspection... And since he now gets to stand in the "US citizens/green card holders" line he breezed through because everyone else on his plane seemed to be travelers. Absolutely no problemo.

Can Sujeet take me in his suitcase to India???

Edited September 6, 2007 by Frances

[James 2]

Does anyone have experience of traveling with the extension letter(NOA)?

My husband is debating a trip to India in the fall, but he thinks he will have a hard time traveling with the extension letter. I told him that I'm sure in India they have seen extension letters before, but he still thinks they will give him a hard time in the US and India since his GC would be expired by then (though he has the extension).

Anyone use it and the immigration officers not know what it is or give you a hard time? Or was it fine?

No problem here coming back from Colombia into MIA last month. Just handed over the green card and the extension letter, and that was that.

[coderjay 0]

I had the same question. After suggestions from the friendly folks on this forum, I set up an appt and got the passport stamped. No problems at all.

Used infopass to set up an appt with "new permanent resident..." option. When I got to the office, I was asked if I was there to get a stamp. I said yes, got a number and waited about 15 mins. When my number was called, I talked to the officer and she said.."We can give you a stamp". That was it. Took me all of 40 mins from getting into the DHS local office to getting out with the stamp. My local office is Seattle, btw.

[chri'stina 190]

Thanks for all the replies. I forgot to read them and then this got buried.

One more thing, you know when the airlines take your passport and greencard info when checking in to the flight, did they understand or give anyone a hard time? And I am more concerned about how Indian officers will handle the extension letter and stamp.

Coderjay-are you planning on visiting India soon? I'd be interested to know how Indian immigration officers handle the situation/paperwork when entering and leaving India. Hopefully it's something they know a lot about with so many NRIs visiting there. But I'm not sure.

Hubster just came back from England for the summer with his extension letter and he said the POE officer just looked at the green card, looked at the letter, stamped the passport and said welcome home. That's it! We were expecting maybe a secondary inspection... And since he now gets to stand in the "US citizens/green card holders" line he breezed through because everyone else on his plane seemed to be travelers. Absolutely no problemo.

Can Sujeet take me in his suitcase to India???

Hehe, we aren't sure he's really going before the baby is born, but if he does, sure he can!

Edited September 10, 2007 by stina&suj

[Cassie 8]

I have never been asked to show my green card by the airlines. Is that a normal thing for them to do? I always assumed that the only people to worry about if they knew what the extension letter looked like were the actual US Immigration/Customs peeps.

[chri'stina 190]

I have never been asked to show my green card by the airlines. Is that a normal thing for them to do? I always assumed that the only people to worry about if they knew what the extension letter looked like were the actual US Immigration/Customs peeps.

I might be remembering wrong, but I think when Sujeet went to India last March he had to show his passport and greencard when checking in to the flight in Tampa. And the lady checking him in was rude. When he showed his passport, which is almost 10 years old, she kept staring at him out of the corner of her eye and then looking back down at the passport. Then she made a comment that he's been eating too much American food since he moved here because he looks nothing like his picture. And she said it loud! And she wasn't thin! So I was like, "don't we ALL eat too much American food?" and tried to make it a joke.

I also think that when I left India I had to show my US passport (well they did have to stamp it again because you need a visa to enter India). I could be wrong since it's been so long, but I think they want to make sure you are legally allowed to go back to the US when you leave India. So you have to go through immigration again before departure. So that's the part that I don't want to be the hassle.

Ok... I looked around and found this on a website about traveling in and out of India:

"An hour or so before flight time, the passengers on your flight will be called to pass through the immigration checkpoint. Have your passport and disembarkation card ready for checking. After this, you'll enter the customs area where customs documents (such as the currency declaration or T.B.R.E. forms), if applicable, will be checked. Once you have cleared customs, you'll pass through a security check and into another waiting room until your flight leaves."

[Sister Fracas 5]

I have never been asked to show my green card by the airlines. Is that a normal thing for them to do? I always assumed that the only people to worry about if they knew what the extension letter looked like were the actual US Immigration/Customs peeps.

I'm pretty sure hubster has been asked to show his greencard (not all the time though) and I'm reasonably sure he also had to show the extension letter on the way out, but it was just a glance kind of thing.

[Permanent Ban 0]

Christina,

I'd definitely get the pp stamped. Indian airport exit guys are notoriously retarded.

[smushtaq 0]

Me and my wife travelled to Canada over the Labord Day wknd. We crosed into Canada and back over the bridge at Niagara Falls 2x and both times just gave the GC. The officer didn't even bother checking the expiration date.

Shahab

[Cassie 8]

I have never been asked to show my green card by the airlines. Is that a normal thing for them to do? I always assumed that the only people to worry about if they knew what the extension letter looked like were the actual US Immigration/Customs peeps.

I'm pretty sure hubster has been asked to show his greencard (not all the time though) and I'm reasonably sure he also had to show the extension letter on the way out, but it was just a glance kind of thing.

interesting. all I have had to show to the airline people was my passport. The green card was for the POE.