Need advise

[nelem72 0]

I filed to remove my conditional Nov 06, Bio Dec 06....I filed through TSC...still waiting.

My extension letter will expire Feb 08. Since I'm going on trip overseas, I want to make sure that I won't have any issues with custom/service on my way back. So I requested an Info Pass and went to the local office this morning. They were nice to me and they did stamp my passport, which extended my residency another year, but they kept my expired GC. They said "I can't have both". Meaning, expired GC and stamp on my passport.

I'm actually going on trip with my wife next week and I wonder if the passport stamp ( a year permanent residency extension) is enough to go through the customs on my way back without any issues (especially overseas customs)???

and does it make any sense for local INS to keep my expired GC?

I know it's already expired but it's still considered as a proof for my legal residency.

Any help is appreciated.

Thank you all.

[YuAndDan 153]

From VJ I-751 Guide.

You will receive a notice of receipt for the form stating that "Your alien card is extended one year - employment and travel authorized". Keep the receipt with your green card. If by some chance you are not approved within a year you will want to make an InfoPass appointment to go to your Local Office to request an I-551 stamp in your passport. This does happen as it sometimes it takes over a year to be approved. After your NOA extension expires, this is your only evidence of legal status which you are required to have, by law. This happens occasionally, that a case takes over a year, but it's rare. Local Offices will not give an I-551 stamp is you have another type of evidence of status (ie, expired Green Card + extension letter).

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...p;page=751guide

Makes no sense for them to keep the card.

Info pass, and request I-551 stamp in passport.

Edited December 4, 2007 by YuAndDan

[James 2]

I filed to remove my conditional Nov 06, Bio Dec 06....I filed through TSC...still waiting.

My extension letter will expire Feb 08. Since I'm going on trip overseas, I want to make sure that I won't have any issues with custom/service on my way back. So I requested an Info Pass and went to the local office this morning. They were nice to me and they did stamp my passport, which extended my residency another year, but they kept my expired GC. They said "I can't have both". Meaning, expired GC and stamp on my passport.

I'm actually going on trip with my wife next week and I wonder if the passport stamp ( a year permanent residency extension) is enough to go through the customs on my way back without any issues (especially overseas customs)???

and does it make any sense for local INS to keep my expired GC?

I know it's already expired but it's still considered as a proof for my legal residency.

Any help is appreciated.

Thank you all.

Yes, it's sufficient to enter the US upon your return. Also, I believe it's standard operating procedure for the local office to keep your expired green card, at least if you get an I-551 stamp before your NOA1 extension letter actually lapses. (That might explain why they told you that you can't have both. If you kept the green card, then together with an unexpired extension letter and the stamped passport, you'd effectively have two different means of proving your legal residency -- which, perhaps for reasons of fraud, is apparently one too many for USCIS.)

[nelem72 0]

Hi again,

You perfectly make sense. I didn't pay attention to having two different means proving my legal residency.

At least you make me feel better now. I'm going with my wife anyway and that should help....!!!

Again thank you for your response and I hope we all hear some good news from TSC....

nelem72

[James 2]

Hi again,

You perfectly make sense. I didn't pay attention to having two different means proving my legal residency.

At least you make me feel better now. I'm going with my wife anyway and that should help....!!!

Again thank you for your response and I hope we all hear some good news from TSC....

nelem72

You're more than welcome. And I think you MAY be hearing some very good news shortly! If you have a February NOA1 (particularly early February), you are next up for approval at TSC -- and they have just now been approving some folks with early February NOA1s.