Traveling while removal of conditions processing

[roykirk]

Hi All -

My wife recently applied for removal of conditions.  Shortly thereafter she received a form letter saying that her GC was being extended for 1 year while the I-751 is being processed and they schedule her biometrics, etc, etc. 

Here's the rub we just realized today:  Her current GC expires mid December.  We just booked a trip to Central America for February 2012.  If her 10 year GC hasn't been issued by that time, she's going to be trying to come back in to the U.S. with an expired GC at the end of that trip. 

Will their computer system simply note her extension when they scan her card coming back in to the US, or are we going to have a problem?  Unfortunately we seem to have lost this form letter stating her GC was being extended 1 year, whether that would have made any difference or not. 

[Chicagoguy]

I think that letter will be very important. If no really good answers here check with posters at
www.visajourney.com
We applied in Sept. in CA and the waits are bad - much worse for Vermont.

[OlgaH]

I traveled to Russia with my expired GC while I was in the process  of the removal of the conditional basis of my permanent resident status.

Your wife should  have the NOA  that says "Your conditional resident status is extended for a period of one year. During the one-year extension you are authorized employment and travel..." with her when she travels outside the US.

I did not have any problems. When they asked about my resident status I just showed them my expired GC and the NOA.


 BTW I also had a red stamp in my Russian passport. We went to our USCIS, a lady said that I didn't need the stamp and everything would be just fine without stamp, but she was very nice to my request and placed the one-year extension red stamp into my passport.  It was only a Russian officer who asked me if I had any additional stamp in my Russian passport to enter the US when I was leaving Russia. He had difficult time to read the NOA.  The stamps in Russia like a "sacred-thing-must-be" 


You If you can not find the lost NOA, better make an appointment with your USCIS office, don't risk to travel without any official documents that prove one-year extension. 

 

[roykirk]

Well, we got it figured out.  Based on Chicago Guy's advice, I went to Visa Journey and it was confirmed we'd definitely have problems without that letter.  I contacted USCIS by telephone and after a few minutes of providing confirmation of identity, they said they'd simply send us a new letter.  Problem fixed!  Thanks for the help everyone!

Now we have the additional headache that her Russian passport expired recently and was renewed.  We also realized that they forgot to make note of her married name in her new passport as they had in her old one.  Since her airline tickets are in her married name, it means we'll have to drag along a marriage certificate again, unless we get back to the Consulate to get another notation put in her new passport. 

[ML]

  We also realized that they forgot to make note of her married name in her new passport as they had in her old one.

Clerical people are great.  It happens everywhere in the world.  There is no pride of workmanship anymore.  Are airplanes built and serviced with the same carelessness?

[BC]

Clerical people are great.  It happens everywhere in the world.  There is no pride of workmanship anymore.  Are airplanes built and serviced with the same carelessness?

I think thy 'oversee' such.. - counts as an additional consular fee.

BTDT

[viking]

Roy


Just a thought. She is really traveling on her Russian passport and all this name stuff is for the airline tickets and re-entry to the US. I know my wife, from Belarus, cannot travel to Central America as her country will not issue visas for that area. Can your wife travel there with/without a visa? Are you ok on this part?

[roykirk]

Hey Viking -

Yeah, we're off to Belize and Belize will allow her to enter the country with a visa, but she also has to prove she has a US Green Card.  (Russia would not have any say in issuing her a visa to visit Belize, only Belize would).  We've found many countries that don't typically like Russians visiting will fast track a visa application (or in the case of Mexico, waive it) if the person can prove they're a legal resident of the United States.  I guess they figure they probably won't try to stay if they can go back to the U.S. 

[viking]

I guess I stated that a bit backwards. Most countries will not issue a visa to residents of Belarus. Or make it very difficult. Still, the gist of it is the same. Have visa can travel. I hope you know scuba.  If not, there are places where they give you a short course and take to you to a shallow area. Belize is a great place to do this.

[roykirk]

We've both done scuba, but I don't know that we'll do it there as it's not really the goal of the trip.  We just want to go somewhere new with nice beaches and warm weather.