Just noticed... Passport expiring less than one year

[Oban 1]

Hey guys,

Still no sign of my NOA1, but I just noticed that my German passport is about to expire in a little less than one year. In order to get a new one I need to go to Atlanta. The process of actually getting it will probably take a couple of weeks. So how should I go about it?

My Bio Appointment is next Monday. My idea was to get a I-551 stamp if the NOA1 does not arrive by then. But I would assume that USCIS would have a problem with putting a 1 year extension in a less than 1 year valid passport?!

In addition, the German consulate wants to know for how long my "visa / alien resident card / whatever type of permit I got to be in the US" is valid for. If I apply now, I have to state 02/23/10, cause I do not have an extension yet....

So here are the scenarios:

1.) I go to USCIS next Monday, get a stamp. They will have an issue with passport expiring in less than a year...

2.) I do not get the stamp on Monday, but go to the German consulate instead. Get the new passport ordered. I don't know if they take the current - still valid - passport away while you wait for the new one or if they give it back to you (maybe some other Germans know?!). Either way... I will get a new passport, but still have no proof that I am allowed to be in the US for my employer. In addition, the Germans will have a problem with the fact that my Greencard expires in like a month. Which I cannot proof, because I don"t have a NOA1 (the stamp would come in handy here).

In addition to all of this: I need something for my employer by 02/23!

The biggest bummer would be: if I get the stamp, go to the German consulate, they get the new passport ordered, but take my old one away. So I would be here, no passport, no proof of me being legal, no nothing.

Anyone with a good idea?!

Regards,

Oban

3.)

[v333k 59]

Hey guys,

Still no sign of my NOA1, but I just noticed that my German passport is about to expire in a little less than one year. In order to get a new one I need to go to Atlanta. The process of actually getting it will probably take a couple of weeks. So how should I go about it?

My Bio Appointment is next Monday. My idea was to get a I-551 stamp if the NOA1 does not arrive by then. But I would assume that USCIS would have a problem with putting a 1 year extension in a less than 1 year valid passport?!

In addition, the German consulate wants to know for how long my "visa / alien resident card / whatever type of permit I got to be in the US" is valid for. If I apply now, I have to state 02/23/10, cause I do not have an extension yet....

So here are the scenarios:

1.) I go to USCIS next Monday, get a stamp. They will have an issue with passport expiring in less than a year...

2.) I do not get the stamp on Monday, but go to the German consulate instead. Get the new passport ordered. I don't know if they take the current - still valid - passport away while you wait for the new one or if they give it back to you (maybe some other Germans know?!). Either way... I will get a new passport, but still have no proof that I am allowed to be in the US for my employer. In addition, the Germans will have a problem with the fact that my Greencard expires in like a month. Which I cannot proof, because I don"t have a NOA1 (the stamp would come in handy here).

In addition to all of this: I need something for my employer by 02/23!

The biggest bummer would be: if I get the stamp, go to the German consulate, they get the new passport ordered, but take my old one away. So I would be here, no passport, no proof of me being legal, no nothing.

Anyone with a good idea?!

Regards,

Oban

3.)

Hi Oban,

I think the ASC will stamp the I-551 with an expiration date similar to the passport. So you will get the stamp but not for a full year. you can use that to show your employer and wait until you get approved for the 10-year GC. Then, you can take the passport and GC to the German consulate and get that done.

One comment, I would photocopy the passport especially if you have done traveling. When applying for naturalization, they sometimes like to see the stamps to support your travel and just to see your passport in general. So make sure you either request it back from the German consulate (if they allow that) or get notarized photocopies to provide if USCIS asks.

For now, you can just keep this passport until approval! That's my suggestion.

[Lona.C. 16]

I would waite till you get your GC , since you will need the GC to aply for a new passport

your current passport is still good for almost a year if you dont hear nothing in 6 month then i would aply for a new one and carry the old one too ,

usualy they let you keep the old one but you can call the german embassy to confirm

http://www.germany.info/Vertretung/usa/de/...01/__Daten.html

they let me keep my old one when I went to boston to aply for a new one with my married name last year

Edited January 26, 2010 by Lona.C.

[Oban 1]

Given the slowness of VSC I am not counting on getting a new GC anytime soon.

Let me find out if a "then stamped passport" in addition to my expired GC would provide proof to the Germans to get a new passport....

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

What exactly is your problem? The fact that your passport expires in a year is not a problem, or is it?

Seriously, I'm not sure what your problem is!

So here a watered down info on how this works.

1) The German Consulate will not issue a new passport because your old one expires in a year. You could be dead in a year, or burned beyond recognition, among other things.

2) The German Consulate will also not issue a new passport unless you have a Green Card. They would issue you a travel document, which you don't need as you still have a valid passport.

3) Once you are a LPR and the time for you comes to get a new passport, you need to state whether or not you have a German place of residence (Wohnort). If you don't, the whole shabang goes quickly, if you do meaning you are still "gemeldet," they send your application to the Einwohnermeldeamt in Germany which checks their records. Now . . . even if you live in the US, permanently, but have a Wohnsitz in Germany, for German purposes that's your first place of residence. My German passport was issued in Los Angeles, was approved in Hamburg, and although I haven't been in Germany since 1994, my first Wohnsitz for passport purposes is Hamburg. Besides of taking longer, it also cost more to do this, but if you want a Beibehaltungsbescheinigung for dual citizenship later, it might come handy when you have to prove your ties to the old country.

4) Even if you get a new passport, you keep the old one. The visa stamped in the old passport is transferrable, meaning even if you old passport is expired but the visa inside is still valid, you take both passport with you.

Again, unless you asked a question I simply didn't "get" I don't know what your problem or issue is.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

Oban,

I read your post again, trying to figure out what I missed, and here's my addendum.

1) USCIS would of course put an I-551 stamp in a passport that is still valid for another year. A year, dude, not a week!

2) Since you got the NOA2, it's fair to assume that the NOA1 got lost somewhere in the system. Yes, in your case try to get a duplicate or simply the stamp.

3) In a few weeks, all of this will be done and over with for you, so get a passport in a year from now, when you have your 10-year Green Card. Don't uglify a new passport with an I-551 stamp, for reasons that have to do with using it the next 10 years in case you don't want to become a USC or you don't want to become a dual citizen.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

USCIS will also provide an I-551 stamp on an I-94 document if an individual does not have a valid passport and place that into an expired passport. The applicant needs to bring in two passport sized photographs to an Infopass requesting the I-551 stamp, so if you decide to go with the current passport and they only stamp it to the passport's expiry date, if you don't have the green card by then you can go back in and get an extension of your proof of legal status in the US.

[Oban 1]

Just to be sure here:

If I go on Monday, with my passport, and with my soon to be expired Green Card, do I need two (2) passport pictures?

Yes or no?

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

Since you're taking your old yet valid passport . . . NO. They'll just put a stamp in it.

[v333k 59]

USCIS will also provide an I-551 stamp on an I-94 document if an individual does not have a valid passport and place that into an expired passport. The applicant needs to bring in two passport sized photographs to an Infopass requesting the I-551 stamp, so if you decide to go with the current passport and they only stamp it to the passport's expiry date, if you don't have the green card by then you can go back in and get an extension of your proof of legal status in the US.

Thanks Kathryn41, I was not aware of this information - very good to know!!!

[Oban 1]

Since you're taking your old yet valid passport . . . NO. They'll just put a stamp in it.

THANK YOU!!!!