How early can you get an I-551 stamp? Answers from our InfoPass

[Wingnutfish 18]

Hi all,

 

I know I've been part of some discussions regarding how and when we're eligible to get the I-551 extension stamp to replace an expiring NOA green card extension letter. My wife (green card holder) and I (US citizen) had an InfoPass appointment yesterday in Portland, OR, and here's what we were able to determine:

 

1. Immigration officers have a guideline (not a hard-and-fast rule, I think) that an I-551 stamp should only be given if the green card holder will need it within the next month (30 days?). Apparently part of the reason for this guideline is that if they give you a stamp long before you need it, there's a bigger chance that you'll get your 10-year green card in the meantime, which is not ideal because they prefer you to only have one or the other.

 

2. However, this does not necessarily mean your extension letter must be expiring within the next month. My wife's is expiring in early November, but we were able to get the I-551 stamp yesterday (July 14) because she has to renew her driver's permit on August 5. The stamp is valid for a year from the date it was issued, and my wife had to forfeit her expired 2-year green card because "the stamp counts as a green card, and you can't have two green cards at the same time".

 

3. What if we're traveling abroad for several months and not coming back until after the extension letter expires? This didn't end up applying to us (though a week ago we thought it would), but here's what the officer said: You do need to get a stamp for this (otherwise there's some kind of special consular permission or something you have to get to re-enter the country, I think she said). She said that you can get the stamp for this reason, even if your letter isn't within a month of expiring, but "I would probably ask you to come back in to get the stamp just a week or two before you leave".

 

4. What if you're starting a new job that needs to see your papers, and you expect to stay at the job past the expiration date of the extension letter? This actually did apply to us - my wife was just offered a new job the day before our InfoPass appointment. The officer said that you don't need a stamp for this - that the employer will accept your current extension letter, and wait until it's expiring to ask for documentation of continued residency. (But in our case, she gave us the stamp anyway because of the expiring driver's permit.)

 

I imagine all this could vary from officer to officer, and as I said before, it seems that it's ultimately up to their discretion, but I thought others (including people searching this in the future) might find this general information useful.

 

 

Edited July 16, 2017 by Wingnutfish

[vajaster 7]

On ‎7‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 6:55 PM, Wingnutfish said:

Hi all,

 

I know I've been part of some discussions regarding how and when we're eligible to get the I-551 extension stamp to replace an expiring NOA green card extension letter. My wife (green card holder) and I (US citizen) had an InfoPass appointment yesterday in Portland, OR, and here's what we were able to determine:

 

1. Immigration officers have a guideline (not a hard-and-fast rule, I think) that an I-551 stamp should only be given if the green card holder will need it within the next month (30 days?). Apparently part of the reason for this guideline is that if they give you a stamp long before you need it, there's a bigger chance that you'll get your 10-year green card in the meantime, which is not ideal because they prefer you to only have one or the other.

 

2. However, this does not necessarily mean your extension letter must be expiring within the next month. My wife's is expiring in early November, but we were able to get the I-551 stamp yesterday (July 14) because she has to renew her driver's permit on August 5. The stamp is valid for a year from the date it was issued, and my wife had to forfeit her expired 2-year green card because "the stamp counts as a green card, and you can't have two green cards at the same time".

 

3. What if we're traveling abroad for several months and not coming back until after the extension letter expires? This didn't end up applying to us (though a week ago we thought it would), but here's what the officer said: You do need to get a stamp for this (otherwise there's some kind of special consular permission or something you have to get to re-enter the country, I think she said). She said that you can get the stamp for this reason, even if your letter isn't within a month of expiring, but "I would probably ask you to come back in to get the stamp just a week or two before you leave".

 

4. What if you're starting a new job that needs to see your papers, and you expect to stay at the job past the expiration date of the extension letter? This actually did apply to us - my wife was just offered a new job the day before our InfoPass appointment. The officer said that you don't need a stamp for this - that the employer will accept your current extension letter, and wait until it's expiring to ask for documentation of continued residency. (But in our case, she gave us the stamp anyway because of the expiring driver's permit.)

 

I imagine all this could vary from officer to officer, and as I said before, it seems that it's ultimately up to their discretion, but I thought others (including people searching this in the future) might find this general information useful.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the information! It really helped in the bit of dilemma we're in :S

 

My wife's Green Card will expire 11/20/2017 and we will be sending in ROC late 08/2017.

We are planning to travel 09/01/17-09/15/17. Do you think we will be OK? Obviously we wouldn't receive the NOA mail in time since we will be departing just a couple days after sending in ROC packet.

 

My worry is that when we are departing Afghanistan on 09/15/2017 they might give us troubles due to Green Card will be expiring only 2 months from that date.

Do you think we will be OK? I mean it WON'T be expired, just will be two months away.

[Wingnutfish 18]

On 7/17/2017 at 9:04 AM, vajaster said:

 

 

Thanks for the information! It really helped in the bit of dilemma we're in :S

 

My wife's Green Card will expire 11/20/2017 and we will be sending in ROC late 08/2017.

We are planning to travel 09/01/17-09/15/17. Do you think we will be OK? Obviously we wouldn't receive the NOA mail in time since we will be departing just a couple days after sending in ROC packet.

 

My worry is that when we are departing Afghanistan on 09/15/2017 they might give us troubles due to Green Card will be expiring only 2 months from that date.

Do you think we will be OK? I mean it WON'T be expired, just will be two months away.

That shouldn't be a problem. You don't need the NOA letter for travel until after the green card expires.

 

Also, you should ignore my original post, because it's about a completely different issue from yours - we already got our NOA more than a year ago, and were dealing with that letter expiring too.

[OshunMY 4]

Hope you can answer a few questions I have:

1. The extension letter expires 1 year after GC expiration and not the date of the letter, right?

2. My letter expires in May 2018 and I am thinking of traveling in Feb 2018 (back before March). Do I need a stamp on my passport?

 

Thank you!

[Name O Boy 511]

2 hours ago, OshunMY said:

Hope you can answer a few questions I have:

1. The extension letter expires 1 year after GC expiration and not the date of the letter, right?

2. My letter expires in May 2018 and I am thinking of traveling in Feb 2018 (back before March). Do I need a stamp on my passport?

 

Thank you!

Yes, the letter extends the GC expiration to one year. You can get I-551 stamp few weeks or one month before your GC expiration. It is hard to get an I-551 stamp few months before the GC expiration but you could schedule an infopass appointment and give it a try. You don't need an I55-1 stamp now because your letter has not expired and it has extended your GC validity. You have to keep your GC and extension letter all the time during traveling. 

Edited January 7, 2018 by Name O Boy

[payxibka 10,045]

2 hours ago, OshunMY said:

Hope you can answer a few questions I have:

1. The extension letter expires 1 year after GC expiration and not the date of the letter, right?

2. My letter expires in May 2018 and I am thinking of traveling in Feb 2018 (back before March). Do I need a stamp on my passport?

 

Thank you!

No because you will be back before the letter expires

[Wingnutfish 18]

Yep, you should be fine. If anyone gives you any trouble at immigration (unlikely), insist that the letter is valid until a year after the GC expiration date, and they'll soon realize you're right.

[Naomikate 0]

This is great thread! Thanks for the information--- it's exactly what I've been looking for. I have a quick question... My I-797 is due to expire on June 19th. I'm traveling out of the country for 5 weeks on June 8th. Would you advice making an Infopass appointment for the I-551 in May? (or earlier) Do I need to bring any other documents with me to the appointment other than my expired GC and the I-797? -- I'm wondering if proof of my travel arrangements would be necessary, for example. 

 

I assumed, perhaps naively, that my application would have processed by then, but I spoke to USCIS this afternoon and was informed that my field office (California) is currently processing applications from August, 2016!! This suggests that there's a considerable backlog   

 

Thanks in advance

[nightingalejules 678]

On 1/19/2018 at 5:54 PM, Naomikate said:

This is great thread! Thanks for the information--- it's exactly what I've been looking for. I have a quick question... My I-797 is due to expire on June 19th. I'm traveling out of the country for 5 weeks on June 8th. Would you advice making an Infopass appointment for the I-551 in May? (or earlier) Do I need to bring any other documents with me to the appointment other than my expired GC and the I-797? -- I'm wondering if proof of my travel arrangements would be necessary, for example. 

 

I assumed, perhaps naively, that my application would have processed by then, but I spoke to USCIS this afternoon and was informed that my field office (California) is currently processing applications from August, 2016!! This suggests that there's a considerable backlog   

 

Thanks in advance

Yes, you will need to make an infopass to get the stamp - California is SOOOOOOO backlogged. I think you're safe to make the appointment in May - keep in mind that you'll likely be booking an appointment 2 weeks out from the day you check, so you could start looking for an appointment mid-April.

 

You'll need at least:

Expired GC

I-797

Unexpired Passport

State issued ID (probably your driver's license)

The appointment notification sheet (print it when you make your appointment)

I would also bring proof of your travel plans, although they may not ask for them (particularly since you're pretty close to the "1 month" guideline.)

 

[Wingnutfish 18]

On 1/19/2018 at 4:54 PM, Naomikate said:

This is great thread! Thanks for the information--- it's exactly what I've been looking for. I have a quick question... My I-797 is due to expire on June 19th. I'm traveling out of the country for 5 weeks on June 8th. Would you advice making an Infopass appointment for the I-551 in May? (or earlier) Do I need to bring any other documents with me to the appointment other than my expired GC and the I-797? -- I'm wondering if proof of my travel arrangements would be necessary, for example. 

 

I assumed, perhaps naively, that my application would have processed by then, but I spoke to USCIS this afternoon and was informed that my field office (California) is currently processing applications from August, 2016!! This suggests that there's a considerable backlog   

 

Thanks in advance

I agree with nightingalejules. I would bring proof of travel arrangements if you have it, especially if your Infopass appointment is before May 20th (30 days before your I-797 expires). I might wait for an appointment after May 9th (30 days before your trip), but it's always possible they could approve the stamp earlier if you have proof you'll need it.

 

If your appointment's after May 20th, I think they'll probably give you the stamp regardless of whether you have travel plans or not. Though you still might as well bring evidence if you have it, just in case.

 

[OshunMY 4]

Thanks everyone for answering my questions about Infopass and the i-551 stamp. I'd like to share my experience.

 

1. To get an Infopass appointment, try very early in the morning, like at 5am. I overheard someone working there giving this advice. I tried at midnight too and saw some openings. 

 

2. I went in today to ask about the stamp because I am traveling in February. Technically, I don't need it. My GC expired in May 2017 and my letter, which is dated February 2017, should extend it to May 2018. But I told the officer about the confusion with the extension, whether it extends from the date of the GC or letter, and he gave me the stamp! The stamp is valid for a year from the date it was given and is good for travel and employment. 

 

Hope this info helps. All the best, everyone! :-)

[Wingnutfish 18]

6 hours ago, OshunMY said:

2. I went in today to ask about the stamp because I am traveling in February. Technically, I don't need it. My GC expired in May 2017 and my letter, which is dated February 2017, should extend it to May 2018. But I told the officer about the confusion with the extension, whether it extends from the date of the GC or letter, and he gave me the stamp! The stamp is valid for a year from the date it was given and is good for travel and employment.

That's great! Supports my theory that the officers are working with guidelines, not hard rules. :-)

[Wingnutfish 18]

6 hours ago, OshunMY said:

1. To get an Infopass appointment, try very early in the morning, like at 5am. I overheard someone working there giving this advice. I tried at midnight too and saw some openings. 

That's what I've heard too, for very busy offices. But for anyone who hasn't tried at all yet, I'd say go ahead and first try it whenever it's convenient for you. Many less-busy offices, like ours in Portland, OR, have appointments available in the system all the time.

[GRK 0]

My wife's greencard is about to expire in June 2018. We have filed I-90 for renewal in Jan 2018 and looks like it will take 10-11 months for processing. We got the biometrics notice for Feb 2018 which we tried doing overseas at US embassy but they asked to reschedule and do it in Dallas which is now due in last week of March 2018. Due to my overseas employment and medical situation of parents & in-laws we have been spending lots of time outside of USA. My wife has a valid travel permit (I-327) which also expires in Apr 2018. So we took an infopass appointment to request I-551 stamp so she can travel overseas without any hassle. 

 

We will be taking all the documentation (I-90, biometrics, reason for overseas travel, flight tickets, etc) with us. The question is will they give the I-551 stamp during the infopass appointment itself? Is there any fees for the I-551 stamp? Any additional suggestions to make a formidable case to get the I-551 stamp.

[Wingnutfish 18]

On 3/15/2018 at 1:20 AM, GRK said:

My wife's greencard is about to expire in June 2018. We have filed I-90 for renewal in Jan 2018 and looks like it will take 10-11 months for processing. We got the biometrics notice for Feb 2018 which we tried doing overseas at US embassy but they asked to reschedule and do it in Dallas which is now due in last week of March 2018. Due to my overseas employment and medical situation of parents & in-laws we have been spending lots of time outside of USA. My wife has a valid travel permit (I-327) which also expires in Apr 2018. So we took an infopass appointment to request I-551 stamp so she can travel overseas without any hassle. 

 

We will be taking all the documentation (I-90, biometrics, reason for overseas travel, flight tickets, etc) with us. The question is will they give the I-551 stamp during the infopass appointment itself? Is there any fees for the I-551 stamp? Any additional suggestions to make a formidable case to get the I-551 stamp.

Hi - sorry for the slow reply! Hope I'm not too late.

 

There is no fee for the I-551 stamp, and yes, they give it during the InfoPass appointment (assuming they decided to give you the stamp at all).

 

I think they may decline to give her the stamp now, and instead tell you to come back closer to June (the green card expiration date) - unless you're leaving the country within a month from now and not returning until after the expiration in June. I don't know much about the I-327, but I would guess that doesn't affect whether they give you the I-551 or not (though you probably need to get the I-327 renewed, I guess!).

 

In principle, you shouldn't need to prove your reason for overseas travel - we just told them the truth, that we were going on vacation. Green card holders are allowed to travel out of the country for almost any reason as long as they don't stay away for more than a year - though I guess if they already advised you to get the I-327, it doesn't hurt to have an explanation ready.

 

I think the main way to make your case is to convince them that something is happening within the next 30 days after your InfoPass that will require your wife to have proof that she isn't losing her legal residency in June. As I mentioned, a single overseas trip lasting from April through June might do it. Or if by chance she needs to renew her driver's license within the next 30 days, you should definitely bring that up too. And if you can think of any other reason that someone will look at her green card in April (within 30 days after your InfoPass) and deny her some privilege because it's expiring soon, make sure to mention it. Some reasons might not be good enough for them, but it's always worth a try.