Tip for those traveling outside the Country with extension letter

[Gatorfan 0]

Yesterday my wife arrived back from India and her POE was Orlando, Florida. She is still waiting for 10 year card, so she had her expired green card with the extension letter.

When she got to Immigration, the Officer detained her and put her in a room. The Officer said she couldn't enter, because system was showing that she did not have her biometrics done; therefore, she was out of status.

However, fortunately, when my wife left for India, I also told her to take the biometrics appointment letter which had the stamp showing that she completed her biometrics last October. She gave the Officer the appointment letter and said she did complete her biometrics last fall.

After keeping in the room for over two hours, he returned and said she was free to enter. He did not give her any explanation as to if the problem was corrected. My wife was so happy at that point, she didn't want to press her luck by asking him why he had to detain her for so long.

So my tip to those of you planning on traveling outside the country is to take the biometrics appointment letter along with your extension letter.

Edited March 31, 2009 by Gatorfan

[keepfaith 0]

Thanks for sharing info here. well i think we should carry everything to be on safe side!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

You might want to make an InfoPass appointment to check and see if USCIS now has her correctly listed as completing her biometrics. There was a recent VJer who received a denial of her I-751 application because USCIS said she had missed her Biometrics appointment. She hadn't and took her stamped receipt to an an infopass appointment where the Immigration officer literally had to correct the information with the Case Processing Center and reverse the denial. I don't wish to alarm you but based on her airport experience, this may be a case where being pro-active is wise. If the information is correct you have lost nothing, but if it isn't . . . you have a chance to correct it now.

Edited March 31, 2009 by Kathryn41

[shakysgirl 1]

And this is why we aren't leaving the country without the 10 year green card in hand.....

[ELW 5]

Sorry about the delay but glad your wife got in OK. Good advice about having the biometrics letter, thanks!

[-B&T- 1]

Yesterday my wife arrived back from India and her POE was Orlando, Florida. She is still waiting for 10 year card, so she had her expired green card with the extension letter.

When she got to Immigration, the Officer detained her and put her in a room. The Officer said she couldn't enter, because system was showing that she did not have her biometrics done; therefore, she was out of status.

However, fortunately, when my wife left for India, I also told her to take the biometrics appointment letter which had the stamp showing that she completed her biometrics last October. She gave the Officer the appointment letter and said she did complete her biometrics last fall.

After keeping in the room for over two hours, he returned and said she was free to enter. He did not give her any explanation as to if the problem was corrected. My wife was so happy at that point, she didn't want to press her luck by asking him why he had to detain her for so long.

So my tip to those of you planning on traveling outside the country is to take the biometrics appointment letter along with your extension letter.

Sorry about what happened and glad that your wife got in ok and thank you for posting this all of us here will be more careful. I 've decided to wait for my 10-year GC before travelling back to PI...

[NickD 202]

Yesterday my wife arrived back from India and her POE was Orlando, Florida. She is still waiting for 10 year card, so she had her expired green card with the extension letter.

When she got to Immigration, the Officer detained her and put her in a room. The Officer said she couldn't enter, because system was showing that she did not have her biometrics done; therefore, she was out of status.

However, fortunately, when my wife left for India, I also told her to take the biometrics appointment letter which had the stamp showing that she completed her biometrics last October. She gave the Officer the appointment letter and said she did complete her biometrics last fall.

After keeping in the room for over two hours, he returned and said she was free to enter. He did not give her any explanation as to if the problem was corrected. My wife was so happy at that point, she didn't want to press her luck by asking him why he had to detain her for so long.

So my tip to those of you planning on traveling outside the country is to take the biometrics appointment letter along with your extension letter.

Sorry about what happened and glad that your wife got in ok and thank you for posting this all of us here will be more careful. I 've decided to wait for my 10-year GC before travelling back to PI...

Those airport idiots love to pick on a woman traveling alone, had several examples of what happened to both my wife and her friends in that situation that led me to write to both my senator and congressman. I traveled with my wife with her expired card and extension letter, when we approached immigration, went first, tossed down my photo ID veterans card, put my arm around my wife, and said this is my wife and my honey. While she was shaking like a leave from her last experience, IO smiled at her and said all was okay.

Feel the major problem is letting your wife travel alone. In our last trip back, wife had her US passport, let out with a loud HA, welcome back to the good old USA when waiting in line for over two hours. That time the IO apologized and said she was sorry, but we have to do this. And then to get into yet another line for customs, do you really enjoy playing with my underwear?

[maryces21 0]

I think you need to make a INFOPASS appoinment and check that yourself. I telling you because i had experience on USCIS telling me i have not done my biometrics, and I did> On some point they missplaced the info and I was denied.

[-B&T- 1]

Yesterday my wife arrived back from India and her POE was Orlando, Florida. She is still waiting for 10 year card, so she had her expired green card with the extension letter.

When she got to Immigration, the Officer detained her and put her in a room. The Officer said she couldn't enter, because system was showing that she did not have her biometrics done; therefore, she was out of status.

However, fortunately, when my wife left for India, I also told her to take the biometrics appointment letter which had the stamp showing that she completed her biometrics last October. She gave the Officer the appointment letter and said she did complete her biometrics last fall.

After keeping in the room for over two hours, he returned and said she was free to enter. He did not give her any explanation as to if the problem was corrected. My wife was so happy at that point, she didn't want to press her luck by asking him why he had to detain her for so long.

So my tip to those of you planning on traveling outside the country is to take the biometrics appointment letter along with your extension letter.

Sorry about what happened and glad that your wife got in ok and thank you for posting this all of us here will be more careful. I 've decided to wait for my 10-year GC before travelling back to PI...

Those airport idiots love to pick on a woman traveling alone, had several examples of what happened to both my wife and her friends in that situation that led me to write to both my senator and congressman. I traveled with my wife with her expired card and extension letter, when we approached immigration, went first, tossed down my photo ID veterans card, put my arm around my wife, and said this is my wife and my honey. While she was shaking like a leave from her last experience, IO smiled at her and said all was okay.

Feel the major problem is letting your wife travel alone. In our last trip back, wife had her US passport, let out with a loud HA, welcome back to the good old USA when waiting in line for over two hours. That time the IO apologized and said she was sorry, but we have to do this. And then to get into yet another line for customs, do you really enjoy playing with my underwear?

Really?Is this some type of racism or discrimination?Sorry that it happened to your wife hopefully,I won't have to deal with same ###### and ####### at the airport-sigh. =(

[Italian_in_NYC 259]

I left the country 4 times since my GC expired 5 months ago and never had any issue at the POE.

An officer once even told me that I could enter even without the extension because when they swipe the GC everything shows up in their database.

I think you just were unlucke to find an unexperienced/incompetent CBP officer.

[Gatorfan 0]

My wife made an Infopass appointment for the end of the month. Hopefully, there won't be a problem.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

My wife made an Infopass appointment for the end of the month. Hopefully, there won't be a problem.

I think that is wise under the circumstances. Hopefully everything will be fine and the rest of your process is uneventful.

[^KK^ 3]

Thanks for sharing the information!!!

[Bjumanja 0]

Hello everybody,

what if I want to travel and all I have is the extension letter since I have not received anything yet about the biometrics (which makes me a little bit worried)? I'm planning to go to Niagra Falls and then go to the Canadian side by car. Would that be possible?

Thank you,

Anja

[-B&T- 1]

Hello everybody,

what if I want to travel and all I have is the extension letter since I have not received anything yet about the biometrics (which makes me a little bit worried)? I'm planning to go to Niagra Falls and then go to the Canadian side by car. Would that be possible?

Thank you,

Anja

Hi anja,

From my understanding,you will be fine with your extension letter,valid passport and your expired green card.You should be receiving your biometrics appointment soon and you don't wanna miss that because it's very important.If I were you I will just wait for the appointment notice,get it done and after that no more worries you just check the status of your application online.