Has anyone traveled internationally on the stamp? I551

[lucybelle 453]

I know once the letter is expired we can go get the stamp.  My husband travels about 50% for his work and most of it is international.  He's been traveling fine with the letter.  Does anyone have experience traveling with the stamp?  Or that grey area inbetween when the letter expires after one year and when the greencard expires after one year?  Should he request to not be sent out of the country for that month just to be sure?  (NOA letter date is April, the greencard date is July)

[Hypnos 6,576]

Lots of people travel on an I-551 stamp without issue. 

[bolin786 21]

You can travel for the year the letter or password stamp extends the expiration date of the  temporary green card.  By that time, you should receive the permanent green card.  It is "highly doubtful", that this is not true.

 

[bolin786 21]

Follow-up

In case that is not the case, then I would request a second extension letter explaining the circumstances and not risk traveling with an expired letter.

[Hypnos 6,576]

I don't believe any further extension letters can be issued; the I-551 passport stamp is the only option at that point.

[Sukie 1,439]

Lucybelle,

 

Of course, there is still the debate about whether the "drop-dead-date" is one year from the LETTER date or one year from the GREEN CARD date.  I have always held that it is one year from the GREEN CARD date, though I know the extension letter is terribly ambivalent.

 

They are working on the first week of February at the moment at VSC - so you and I are about 12 weeks out.  I think I have read that the ASC offices are reluctant to give new I-551 stamps until about a month before the Drop-Dead date.  So we're back to "what is REALLY the drop dead date?" question.

 

I have also read that when you get an I-551 extension stamp, they take your 2-year Green Card off of you.  (Be sure to maintain a copy.)

 

With CBP being so over-zealous these days, there is absolutely no way to tell if your esposo will have any hassles or not.  The fact that he is not from the Middle East is a plus, though because he is Spanish-speaking, that might be enough to throw a monkey-wrench into the works.

 

If his extension letter deadline is coming up, I would suggest you make an InfoPass appointment, and just test the waters to see if they will go ahead and give him a new I-551 stamp.  If they tell you for sure that the letter extends the GREEN CARD date, then I actually think our spouses will get their 10-year cards before their July GC expiration dates given where VSC is at the moment.

 

If we don't have my partner's green card by the end of April, we are making an InfoPass appointment, as we are traveling to Australia at the end of May.

 

Sukie in NY

Edited March 11, 2017 by Sukie
Typos and Bad Grammar

[lucybelle 453]

Thanks all. I've seen plenty of posts of people traveling with the letter so I wasn't worried about that. But since VSC is processing nearly at exactly one year (plus three weeks afterwards to get the GC in the mail) I'm trying to figure this out. With legal residents being stopped & harassed by border officials, I'm quite nervous.

 

I suppose in a month we'll schedule an info pass and see if they'll give him a stamp. But I worry about him not even having a GC! That's why I was trying to see if people have traveled internationally with the letter & stamp.

 

The other problem is his drivers license is only as good as long as he has residency, it expires in April with the letter. And although border agents might be up to speed on immigration policy, I highly doubt the good people at our podunk DMV are. Doubt they'll understand a I551 stamp!

 

ugh!! If USCIS could just get their **** together it would make my life so much easier!

Edited March 11, 2017 by lucybelle

[Sukie 1,439]

Go to your local DMV loaded with printouts from the Federal website.  We did that.

 

Sukie in NY

[Sukie 1,439]

PS:  If you DO go get a stamp, please let the rest of us know whether it is the LETTER expiration date or the GC expiration date.  I'd like to get that question answered once and for all.

 

Since this is the first time they've been so backed up - I'm guessing it's the first time all these questions are coming at them.

 

Sukie in NY

[JohnE 57]

Here is my two cents.  My wife just got approved for her ROC and am waiting for the ten year green card to arrive in the mail.  In the notifications we received from USCIS it stated specifically NOT to travel outside the US until the ten year green card arrives and to use that for travel.  Their language suggests the (either) one year extension letter or the 551 stamp becomes void and not usable once ROC is approved.  

 

  I would hate to think we traveled to Mexico City (where she is from and we go at least twice a year) while we were waiting for ROC and she was approved.  From the notifications from USCIS she might have had a problem getting back in the US.  Maybe I am reading too much into their notice but I do not think that is the case.  

 

John

 

[lucybelle 453]

8 hours ago, Sukie said:

PS:  If you DO go get a stamp, please let the rest of us know whether it is the LETTER expiration date or the GC expiration date.  I'd like to get that question answered once and for all.

 

Since this is the first time they've been so backed up - I'm guessing it's the first time all these questions are coming at them.

 

Sukie in NY

 

I think the problem is some officers say one thing, other officers say another. I've seen people call USCIS and they swear up and down it's one year from letter, then that person goes in for infopass and the officer at local office says it's one year from GC and that USCIS person was wrong. Then I've seen people that can get the stamp one month before the letter expires, and some that are told to wait since it's for the GC date. I guess for the most part it doesn't affect too many people (since most don't leave the country every other week, or even every month!), but my esposo travels so much for work I need clear answers. And it doesn't seem like there are any!

 

11 minutes ago, JohnE said:

Here is my two cents.  My wife just got approved for her ROC and am waiting for the ten year green card to arrive in the mail.  In the notifications we received from USCIS it stated specifically NOT to travel outside the US until the ten year green card arrives and to use that for travel.  Their language suggests the (either) one year extension letter or the 551 stamp becomes void and not usable once ROC is approved.  

 

  I would hate to think we traveled to Mexico City (where she is from and we go at least twice a year) while we were waiting for ROC and she was approved.  From the notifications from USCIS she might have had a problem getting back in the US.  Maybe I am reading too much into their notice but I do not think that is the case.  

 

John

 

Yikes I sure hope that's not true. We have a trip booked to Spain in mid April. Let them try to not let us back in the country, I will raise hell. I've already been in contact with my senators, so they know good and well who I am.

[Hypnos 6,576]

An I-551 stamp remains valid even after RoC approval. The only thing that invalidates it is if the I-751 is denied. 

Edited March 12, 2017 by Hypnos

[lucybelle 453]

32 minutes ago, Hypnos said:

An I-551 stamp remains valid even after RoC approval. The only thing that invalidates it is if the I-751 is denied. 

 

Thank you.  Do you personally know of someone who successfully traveled on the I551 stamp without a greencard? (since they take it from you when you get the stamp)

[Hypnos 6,576]

No, but the stamp is equivalent to the card. 

[Starkilla09 366]

2 hours ago, lucybelle said:

 

Thank you.  Do you personally know of someone who successfully traveled on the I551 stamp without a greencard? (since they take it from you when you get the stamp)

I've personally used the temporary I-551 stamp to travel to the U.S. I got one when my adjustment of status application got approved during my interview, as I had to travel a week after before green card arrived. It's not an issue to lose sleep over. What normally happens is you'll most likely be pulled to secondary inspection for the stamp to be verified and admitted. I was fingerprinted, had photo taken, then another officer pulled me over to have it verified and checked the system. Go for it and travel if you have to.