Re-entry Permits and INFOPASS

[TeamMcGregor 21]

Hey everyone,

I have a question. I applied for a re-entry permit on Jul 3. Got the email notification a few days after. So far, so good, one would think. According to the USCIS website, they accepted my fingerprinting fee and mailed me a notice on July 5 for the next steps (I hope that means my fingerprinting appointment - my poor husband is baffled at why does Homeland Security need my fingerprints for every single process, so he's a bit frustrated). The catch is we a) haven't received the notice in the mail yet, and b) plan to leave the US on the 28th. I really do not plan on being outside the US for more than 6 months but life happens and we want to be on the safe side. Since I have a receipt number, I've called USCIS a couple times to see if they can at least tell me when will my appointment be or something along those lines (does it really take this long for a piece of mail to arrive from Nebraska to Washington? Man, I got my NOA1 during the CR1 process quicker in the Dominican Republic, famous for having a VERY unreliable mail system), but they tell me the same as in the website. I requested the application to be expedited and they can't even tell me if that was taken into consideration or not. Would an INFOPASS appointment help me at all? I originally requested the permit to be delivered abroad so I'm not worried about that part, just the biometrics

Thanks for the input!

[hmh33 117]

Yes, infopass would probably help, since at this point it looks like the letter has been lost in the mail.

[TeamMcGregor 21]

You know, I was wondering how long could it really take to get a letter from Lincoln Nebraska to Dryden, Washington. We need to get all our mail on the post office because USPS will not deliver to our actual house (at least we get the PO box for free). Usually they will redirect anything with our home address to the PO box but I don't trust that mail guy...

Anyway, I ended up going to the Spokane office to see what the information desk would say (which by the way is only open for an hour and a half and you need to make an info pass appointment anyway, even if you are right there and there is no one there. Seems a bit pointless). So the lady was not super nice at first since my appointment that i made right then would be for tomorrow but then I don't know what happened...she decided to help and just set up the fingerprinting for right then. I think she realized how pointless it would be to send me home while there was no on there and the guy who did the fingerprints seemed more than willing to do it. So they took my fingerprints today...and certainly took their time.

So yeah at least in Spokane you will not be able to talk to someone at the office without an infopass appointment...but at least it's done. Nw let's just hope it goes a little more smoothly from here. I asked for my permit to be sent to Shanghai on my original application, which is where I'll be...hoping for the best. I don't think I'll need one but I want to be safe for the future more than anything else since I'll be in shanghai for a few months without coming back to the states.

[TeamMcGregor 21]

Okay, so more has happened on my re-entry permit application process. Recap: my original notice of action with my biometrics appointment was sent to me on Jul 5. I never received it. July 17 I went to the Spokane Field office for an INFOPASS appointment to see if they could at least tell me when my biometrics appointment would be. They did mi fingerprinting right away. I have a paper stating when were my biometrics taken, etc. My status on the USCIS website says they mailed a notice for a biometrics appointment on august 5. I called USCIS and explained my biometrics were already taken and the lady said they could've been rejected. I'm already out of the country. Is my re-entry permit application going to be denied?

[himher 634]

Okay, so more has happened on my re-entry permit application process. Recap: my original notice of action with my biometrics appointment was sent to me on Jul 5. I never received it. July 17 I went to the Spokane Field office for an INFOPASS appointment to see if they could at least tell me when my biometrics appointment would be. They did mi fingerprinting right away. I have a paper stating when were my biometrics taken, etc. My status on the USCIS website says they mailed a notice for a biometrics appointment on august 5. I called USCIS and explained my biometrics were already taken and the lady said they could've been rejected. I'm already out of the country. Is my re-entry permit application going to be denied?

FBI 304-625-559 is the number to call to check status on your fingerprints.

My wife's get rejected all the time (have never been accepted actually). They just send you a second appointment notice.

You can be out longer than 6 months and up to a year without a travel document.

[TeamMcGregor 21]

himher, what am I supposed to ask on this number? Just check status on my fingerprints?

I may or may not be out for up to about 10 months. I just don't want to take any chances so I applied for the re-entry permit.

[Darnell 8,478]

You are already out of the country, so it's quite possible this re-entry permit will never get issued.

There's a slim chance it will get issued, though, so there is some hope.

The number himher provided is the FBI telephone number to call to check the status of your fingerprint work done prior.

If you'd like to find out the status of your fingerprint intake, is best to call that telephone number.

[TeamMcGregor 21]

Thanks for the pointers Darnell. I'll have to call tonight (I'm in China) - oh wait, that number himher provided is missing one digit (#######!). On my original application I requested for the permit to be forwarded here for pickup. Until I get a denial I'll have hope and work with USCIS as much as I can.

Edited August 13, 2013 by TeamMcGregor

[Darnell 8,478]

well, in a pinch, you can apply for SB-1 this week or next in China -

there's a USCIS office in BeiJing and another one in Guangzhou.

I think your timing to do this is CHINA is ok, at the moment, as you are not past 6 months departure date, and yer still in status on the current green card.

So, shift a bit, as what I've just described is different.

[TeamMcGregor 21]

I've been in China two weeks. Applying for a SB-1 seems a bit premature, especially since my re-entry permit application hasn't been denied yet. I'm in Shanghai so I can go to the Consulate here. But thanks for pointing it out, I'll research more on it and keep it as one of my options.

[Darnell 8,478]

I don't know if Shanghai does this stuff.

I do know it's done at either USCIS office - there's one attached to the Embassy in BeiJing, and another attached to the Consildated Consulate Compound in GuangZhou.

as to 'premature' - I think it's better to chase this, earlier, than later.

[nofrills 0]

This certainly looks frustrating and I've got my fingers crossed for you TeamMcGregor.

I'd be keen to know the outcome.

[TeamMcGregor 21]

Thanks for asking! Well, USCIS sent a second notice on Aug 5 (for a biometrics appointment) that I have yet to receive. I'm waiting for the time difference to be right so I can call them and see what's going on. How can you possibly explain them getting the address right to send my green card and its subsequent replacement (they printed a 10 year expiration for me when it should've been two, asked me to send it back to TX, sent me the right one back in a little less than a week) and cannot get it right for these notices concerning my re-entry permit? I have very little hope of getting it at this point.

[Darnell 8,478]

did you get an I-551 stamp in yer passport prior to leaving , a new one, or

are you relying on your current I-551 stamp ? if the later, and the dates are ok - you can be outside of the USA for up to 6 months without pain or suffering.

yer POE date is 2013-06-24 so you have 6 months from your 'leave the USA date' to get back into the USA without that pain or suffering.

There's an endorsement stamp in yer passport that turns your visa stamp plus that endorsement stamp, into a 1 year temporary 'green card', an I-551 document. You already have this. Maybe the fear is mitigated if you return before those 6 months are up ?

Edited September 16, 2013 by Darnell

[TeamMcGregor 21]

Hi Darnell,

Yes, my 551 stamp on my passport says valid for 1 year. I'll return before the 6 months are up and look at our options...hopefully those options don't include me staying in the US until my husband's contract in China is up. We've done this before, we really don't want to to do it again.