Traveling Abroad With Wife's Expired Green Card

[nyc123 0]

I am U.S Citizen & my wife is the green card holder. Her card expired 6 months ago & we are on the pending list of " Removing Conditions on Residency" with Vermont Service Center .Our return ticket is already confirmed via Emirates Airways. We have received the 1 year extension letter & we have the expired green card also. I am wondering on our way back to the U.S will the customs at Bangladesh airport inquire about re-entry visa to US? My wife passport has the the CR1 expired visa stamp along with the expired green card & extension letter. We will also carry the biometrics appointment letter (wife took finger print already). Any feed back is extremely appreciated.

Thank You.

Edited December 30, 2012 by nyc123

[Dave&Roza 748]

I am U.S Citizen & my wife is the green card holder. Her card expired 6 months ago & we are on the pending list of " Removing Conditions on Residency" with Vermont Service Center .Our return ticket is already confirmed via Emirates Airways. We have received the 1 year extension letter & we have the expired green card also. I am wondering on our way back to the U.S will the customs at Bangladesh airport inquire about re-entry visa to US? My wife passport has the the CR1 expired visa stamp along with the expired green card & extension letter. We will also carry the biometrics appointment letter (wife took finger print already). Any feed back is extremely appreciated.

Thank You.

The issue is not the US CBP but the airlines and whether they recognize the extension letter. I would call the airlines and expalin the situation and see what they say. It is the airlines that will decide to let you on the airplane or not. CBP will look you up in the computer and see that your GC has been extended for one year and that it is still valid.

Good luck,

Dave

Edited December 30, 2012 by Dave&Roza

[nyc123 0]

If the applicant who wishes to travel during the Green Card Renewal process, he/she may have to get their passport stamped with I-551 at the local INS office to indicate that he/she has filed for a new card. The applicants will have to make an appointment with their local USCIS office using the Application Receipt Notice (form I-797C) and passport which acts as proof of having filed the I-90. Hope this will be helpful.

Thanks for the reply. The Extension letter (I - 751) says it clearly : "During the one year extension you are authorized employment & travel ( Does not apply to you if your conditional resident status has been terminated)". Do you think my wife's Bangladesh passport will need I-551 stamp? I am calling the airlines to explain the situation. Thanks again.

Thanks.

Edited December 30, 2012 by nyc123

[nyc123 0]

The POE officer has every right to examine the applicant's document and card like expired green card, passport with stamped I-551, confirmation letter of the pending case of the renewal green card and better to bring along the marriage certificate too. It's not the airline employees' job to decide if one has right to enter into U.S. or not.

The extension letter is for POE is isn't it? In the USCIS official site there is no mention of I-551 though.

Thanks

[Dave&Roza 748]

The POE officer has every right to examine the applicant's document and card like expired green card, passport with stamped I-551, confirmation letter of the pending case of the renewal green card and better to bring along the marriage certificate too. It's not the airline employees' job to decide if one has right to enter into U.S. or not.

The point I was trying to make is that if the airlines does not let you on the airplane yoou will never see a CBP person who has a computer and knows the GC has been extended. Most of the problems of traveling with expired or extended documents is that the airlin does not want you to arrive at the US and be denied entry as they will have to fly you back and sometimes at their cost. So they do everything then can to make certain each passenger can enter the US, thus THEY check the immigration documents before you are allowed to board. That is where the probelm will arise due to untrained airline personnel.

Dave

[nyc123 0]

Without taking any further risk, I just made an info pass appointment at one of my local USCIS center on January 10, Thursday:

https://egov.uscis.gov/crisgwi/go?action=offices.detail&office=QNS&OfficeLocator.office_type=LO&OfficeLocator.statecode=NY

I will get wife's passport stamped with I-551 & be less worried. Anyone knows how much does it cost & how long will it take them stamp wife's passport? Our flight is on January 25th Friday & I am hoping that we will get the I-551 before our departure date.

I still believe deep down that I-551 is really not required but I am traveling to 3rd world country (Bangladesh) & those idiots have no proper education to even read or understand the extension letter. Thanks all for the help.

Edited December 30, 2012 by nyc123

[Dave&Roza 748]

Without taking any further risk, I just made an info pass appointment at one of my local USCIS center on January 10, Thursday:

https://egov.uscis.g...or.statecode=NY

I will get wife's passport stamped with I-551 & be less worried. Anyone knows how much does it cost & how long will it take them stamp wife's passport? Our flight is on January 25th Friday & I am hoping that we will get the I-551 before our departure date.

I still believe deep down that I-551 is really not required but I am traveling to 3rd world country (Bangladesh) & those idiots have no proper education to even read or understand the extension letter. Thanks all for the help.

You should get the stamp that day for no cost. I would still call the airline to make certain that the stamp will also work. Maybe you can go on-line and complete the travel document section and put the GC number in and the airline will be able to verify that. Lufthansia has the ability to enter the visa or GC information for your entry ino the US and it saves a bit of time and efffort at check-in.

Given that you are going to a 3rd world country the stamp may also not be something they are trained on, but hopefully a supervisor is. Unfortunately the airline people are trained like drones: GC, US visa, okay you are good to go. Expired GC with an extension, well we have never seen that, sorry but you will have to.... and that is the last thing you want to hear as you try to board a flight back to the US.

Good luck and have a good trip,

Dave

Edited December 30, 2012 by Dave&Roza

[nyc123 0]

I am still my pulling my hairs off & getting stressed regards to the expired GC.

1) When we go for I-551 do they ask for any question/document? What document to bring? Do we need to get passport size photo?

2) Also I have read somewhere that USCIS have stopped issuing I-551 for security reason is that true?

3) Is there any possibility that we might be denied of I-551? Has anyone got passport stamped with I-551 recently?

I have tried to reach out to the Airline but ironically they seems to have absolute no idea what I am talking about. Any feedback is extremely appreciated (specially someone went to Bangladesh with expired GC)

Thanks.

Edited December 30, 2012 by nyc123

[Chi81 0]

Hi nyc123,

I'm in the same situation as your wife. My conditional GC expired in Nov, filed I751 and currently waiting for my 10year one. I want to go to home (Pakistan) but it doesn't seems like I will risk going home and jeopardize coming back.

Few comments on I551, I went for Infopass appt and the officer told me that they can't issue me I551 as my expired GC along with the extension letter should be enough for travel. and they really can't give me the I551 stamp because the way it works (as I understand it) is in order for them to issue I551 my extension should be expired and when they do give the stamp they simultaneously start a procedure into checking why the case hasn't been resolved (since it's been 12 months)

So coming back to your concern, I was also struggling with this decision and called the airlines (Emirates, Turkish Airlines). They told me that the airline will have no problem issuing a bording pass but I will definetly encounter issues with the immigration/ customs leaving because they will not recognize the extension document. I don't know abt Bangladesh but the immigration folks in Pakistan are pretty bad and will give hardtime to make a dime$$$. The funny thing is the guy I spoke to at the airlines was from my country and we had a very frank discussion and he kinda mentioned if I were traveling to any other country my expired gc along with the extention letter would suffice but since I'm going to Pakistan it would definetly be pain in the buns. my 2 cents. good luck!!

[LIFE'SJOURNEY 970]

All of this un-necessary post about something that is a daily routine for most airlines. Most airlines are used to seeing the 751 extension letter unless they just went into operation yesterday.

The extension letter along with the expired GC will be well received by the airlines. Getting the stamp is a un-necessary step. You are not the only LPR who have traveled in and out of a country with an expired GC along with an extension letter. These letters have been into place over the last 20 years. Now if your country is one where no one migrates from and you are the 1st to be a LPR of the US from that country than I would be concern,

Travel enjoy and come back safetly.

[himher 634]

You need to have the 1-year extension letter (NOA1) and the expired green card with you to re-enter the US

I am U.S Citizen & my wife is the green card holder. Her card expired 6 months ago & we are on the pending list of " Removing Conditions on Residency" with Vermont Service Center .Our return ticket is already confirmed via Emirates Airways. We have received the 1 year extension letter & we have the expired green card also. I am wondering on our way back to the U.S will the customs at Bangladesh airport inquire about re-entry visa to US? My wife passport has the the CR1 expired visa stamp along with the expired green card & extension letter. We will also carry the biometrics appointment letter (wife took finger print already). Any feed back is extremely appreciated.

Thank You.

Edited December 30, 2012 by himher

[nyc123 0]

Chi81, they denied you I-551 does this mean we will be denied of I-551 as well? Did you mention during Info Pass that you are going to Pakistan & your country do not respect the value of I-791?

My question to all:

1) Should I cancel my infopass appointment assuming we will be denied of I-551 just like Chi81?

2) since Chi81 was denied that means every single applicant on the pending list of " Removing Conditions on Residency" will be denied of I-551 correct?

3) If question 2 is correct, then people who say they got I-551 stamp are lying?

I am sorry for being a pain in the neck but please pardon my tone & give some advise.

Thanks.

All of this un-necessary post about something that is a daily routine for most airlines. Most airlines are used to seeing the 751 extension letter unless they just went into operation yesterday.

The extension letter along with the expired GC will be well received by the airlines. Getting the stamp is a un-necessary step. You are not the only LPR who have traveled in and out of a country with an expired GC along with an extension letter. These letters have been into place over the last 20 years. Now if your country is one where no one migrates from and you are the 1st to be a LPR of the US from that country than I would be concern,

Travel enjoy and come back safetly.

Really ? do you think all this conversation is UN-necessary?

[nyc123 0]

You need to have the 1-year extension letter (NOA1) and the expired green card with you to re-enter the US

It's not about re-enter. All concern is about boarding the damn flight way back to US. Third world countries are over smart that they are unable to read/understand I-791 |o|

Edited December 30, 2012 by nyc123

[nyc123 0]

Hi nyc123,

I'm in the same situation as your wife. My conditional GC expired in Nov, filed I751 and currently waiting for my 10year one. I want to go to home (Pakistan) but it doesn't seems like I will risk going home and jeopardize coming back.

Few comments on I551, I went for Infopass appt and the officer told me that they can't issue me I551 as my expired GC along with the extension letter should be enough for travel. and they really can't give me the I551 stamp because the way it works (as I understand it) is in order for them to issue I551 my extension should be expired and when they do give the stamp they simultaneously start a procedure into checking why the case hasn't been resolved (since it's been 12 months)

So coming back to your concern, I was also struggling with this decision and called the airlines (Emirates, Turkish Airlines). They told me that the airline will have no problem issuing a bording pass but I will definetly encounter issues with the immigration/ customs leaving because they will not recognize the extension document. I don't know abt Bangladesh but the immigration folks in Pakistan are pretty bad and will give hardtime to make a dime$$$. The funny thing is the guy I spoke to at the airlines was from my country and we had a very frank discussion and he kinda mentioned if I were traveling to any other country my expired gc along with the extention letter would suffice but since I'm going to Pakistan it would definetly be pain in the buns. my 2 cents. good luck!!

Once you have boarding pass on hand I think nothing else matters. Did you say mention during Infopass that Pakistan do not accept/respect I-791? Please let me know.

Thanks.

[LIFE'SJOURNEY 970]

Totally un-necessary.

What country will you be leaving from to fly back to the US?