Activating IR-1 in Guam

[SuddenlyConfused 0]

Hi everyone. My wife received her IR-1 in June, but plans changed a bit and we are not going to the US until February. As the visa will expire in December, we plan to fly to Guam for a weekend to activate her visa (we currently live in Korea). I did significant research about flying to Guam a few months ago, but just wanted to double-check to see if I should be worried about anything. Also, when we go through immigration and enter Guam, is there a specific place she needs to go? Does she just go through with me? Thanks in advance. Everyone who replied to my first post several months ago was extremely helpful.

Edited October 22, 2013 by SuddenlyConfused

[rin and john 71]

First option would be to contact the embassy and find out if they will extend the visa ( some embassies will, others don't based on a search of VJ).

Second would be to enter Guam and make sure you get the I-551 stamp in her passport. This is effectively her "green card" until she receives her actual card. At that point she is free to travel out of the USA (try not to be more than six months and definitely not more than a year).

She should be able to go thru the line with you, but ask an immigration officer letting them know she is a IR-1 visa entering for the first time. They will direct you.

Do a search on VJ for "IR-1 visa extension" and you will see several threads on the topic.

[Mark88 185]

I would just write a short question to the embassy if the extension doesn't work and ask them:

"My husband and I might be thinking about settling in Guam. If entering with my IR-1 visa will this be possible, or do I have to enter US Mainland inable to fulfill the IR-1 process?"

[Ryan H 3,925]

Second would be to enter Guam and make sure you get the I-551 stamp in her passport. This is effectively her "green card" until she receives her actual card.

CBP no longer places special I-551 stamps in passports. Instead, they are placing standard entry stamps on the passport page next to the visa and it is the combination of the visa itself and the CBP entry stamp that act as the temporary green card.

[SuddenlyConfused 0]

Thanks for the replies. I did not know an extension could be possible; I will contact the embassy asap to check. If not, it looks like we're headed to Guam for a weekend. Thanks again!

[Karee 4,191]

Actually the visa itself says that it acts as an I-551, not the stamp. That's how my wife's was in 2009 anyway. It's an endorsement at the bottom of the visa.