Expire GC holder with NOA letter deinied at Canadian Border

[jbrid 0]

Hi All,

My wife is a Japanese citizen with an expired 2-year GC and and NOA letter for the I-751 that we filed in August. She was on her way to Canada yesterday for a holiday and the Canadian border agents would not allow her to cross into Canada based on her expired GC. She went back and forth between the Canadian and US border offices twice. The US agents said she was OK to cross and that her NOA letter was valid for her to leave and re-enter the US. Fortunately we only live a few hours from the border, but it was still quite a shock and a big disappointment.

Has anyone experienced this before?

Based on this I would conclude that if you have an expired 2-year GC + NOA letter, you can probably go back to your country of citizenship but you may not be allowed into a country other than that one. Maybe she just encountered the wrong Canadian border agent.

Thanks.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

You are dealing with 2 countries 2 rule sets. The US says yes you can come and go. Canada says you have to have a valid visa or a valid green card. They choose not to recognise the extenstion letter. So until you get a new green card or a visa your wife can't go to Canada

[N M 96]

Hi All,

My wife is a Japanese citizen with an expired 2-year GC and and NOA letter for the I-751 that we filed in August. She was on her way to Canada yesterday for a holiday and the Canadian border agents would not allow her to cross into Canada based on her expired GC. She went back and forth between the Canadian and US border offices twice. The US agents said she was OK to cross and that her NOA letter was valid for her to leave and re-enter the US. Fortunately we only live a few hours from the border, but it was still quite a shock and a big disappointment.

Has anyone experienced this before?

Based on this I would conclude that if you have an expired 2-year GC + NOA letter, you can probably go back to your country of citizenship but you may not be allowed into a country other than that one. Maybe she just encountered the wrong Canadian border agent.

Thanks.

Was she asked to show her GC to enter Canada, or did she volunteer it with her passport at the desk when she first got to the Canadian border? Why couldn't she just show her Japanese passport to Canadian border officials? Why do they even need to see her GC?

Being a Japanese citizen, does she need a visa to enter Canada - which a GC could negate? Wonder if that's why she had to show it.

Edited December 11, 2011 by N M

[~happyndinlove~ 540]

Hi All,

My wife is a Japanese citizen with an expired 2-year GC and and NOA letter for the I-751 that we filed in August. She was on her way to Canada yesterday for a holiday and the Canadian border agents would not allow her to cross into Canada based on her expired GC. She went back and forth between the Canadian and US border offices twice. The US agents said she was OK to cross and that her NOA letter was valid for her to leave and re-enter the US. Fortunately we only live a few hours from the border, but it was still quite a shock and a big disappointment.

Has anyone experienced this before?

Based on this I would conclude that if you have an expired 2-year GC + NOA letter, you can probably go back to your country of citizenship but you may not be allowed into a country other than that one. Maybe she just encountered the wrong Canadian border agent.

Thanks.

Similar situation happened to us when we tried to enter Mexico. We went to the San Diego USCIS office and were told we could enter. So next day we did.

We had no problem with Canada. The proof is my "VJ Signature".

[bigdog 376]

We had similar with Mexican consulate, they wanted her to have her AP which she did not bring for a visa. Smart on their part, not wanting her to leave US and not being able to return. Two countries two rules.

[mr and mrs 187]

Being a Japanese citizen, does she need a visa to enter Canada - which a GC could negate? Wonder if that's why she had to show it.

interesting point. japanese citizens do not need a visa to visit canada. curious if the japanese passport had been offered, how things would have unfolded.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I suspect she came across an uninformed Canadian border official. The extension letter along with the green card is considered a valid proof of residency. I know others who have successfully crossed into Canada and back using the extension letter. She may wish to try again, making sure to point out the part on the letter that extends her green card status for the additional year. Canadian authorities are not always knowledgeable about US immigration practices. Canada does not require a removal of conditions for its permanent residents so the whole process is foreign for Canada. If she gets denied, she could request to speak to someone in secondary inspection who is aware of the validity of the letter.

The alternative, of course, is to use her Japanese passport to enter Canada and then her extension letter and green card to return to the US.

[qqquaker 0]

The GC with NOA only good for return into US. To enter Canada she have to use her Japanese passport with Canada Vssa if needed

Hi All,

My wife is a Japanese citizen with an expired 2-year GC and and NOA letter for the I-751 that we filed in August. She was on her way to Canada yesterday for a holiday and the Canadian border agents would not allow her to cross into Canada based on her expired GC. She went back and forth between the Canadian and US border offices twice. The US agents said she was OK to cross and that her NOA letter was valid for her to leave and re-enter the US. Fortunately we only live a few hours from the border, but it was still quite a shock and a big disappointment.

Has anyone experienced this before?

Based on this I would conclude that if you have an expired 2-year GC + NOA letter, you can probably go back to your country of citizenship but you may not be allowed into a country other than that one. Maybe she just encountered the wrong Canadian border agent.

Thanks.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

Agreed.

Why even taking the slightest chances and handing foreign border agents documents that they don't need to see?

All she needed to enter into Canada is to show was her valid Japanese passport and she would have saved herself a lot of trouble.

The Green Card is a U.S. document. It is needed to enter the U.S. again when coming back from Canada.

All of this could have been avoided easily. Never volunteer information when dealing with police or federal agents.

[jbrid 0]

Thanks for the responses.

Why couldn't she just show her Japanese passport to Canadian border officials?

Yeah, that was my thought as well, and based on the other responses, I guess that is the way to do this. She didn't know that unfortunately.

If others read this, please be warned.

[jbrid 0]

Agreed.

Why even taking the slightest chances and handing foreign border agents documents that they don't need to see?

All she needed to enter into Canada is to show was her valid Japanese passport and she would have saved herself a lot of trouble.

The Green Card is a U.S. document. It is needed to enter the U.S. again when coming back from Canada.

All of this could have been avoided easily. Never volunteer information when dealing with police or federal agents.

I had another thought on this idea...

This sounds good in theory, however...

Let's say she only hands the Candian border agent her Japanese passport as you suggest. The agent will surely look through it and notice that the passport was last stamped at a U.S. border in 2009. They will know that based on the passport only, she is not allowed to be in the U.S. at all. A Japanese citizen is generally allowed in the U.S. or Canada with a 90 days tourist visa. She would need to show them that she could be allowed back into the U.S. In addition, these agents ask a lot of questions, as you know. It is not easy or advisable to hide information from them.

[sasaqlain 24]

Interesting post. I was planning on visiting Canada during the winter break. Now that I know what might be in store for me before my GC arrives, I'll postpone this trip for later and see if i can travel to my country of origin.

Thank you for sharing.