Has anyone traveled internationally on the stamp? I551

[lucybelle 453]

4 minutes ago, Starkilla09 said:

I've personally used the temporary I-551 stamp to travel to the U.S. I got one when my adjustment of status application got approved during my interview, as I had to travel a week after before green card arrived. It's not an issue to lose sleep over. What normally happens is you'll most likely be pulled to secondary inspection for the stamp to be verified and admitted. I was fingerprinted, had photo taken, then another officer pulled me over to have it verified and checked the system. Go for it and travel if you have to. 

Thank you!!!

[jxn 86]

What about the fact that many people have their foreign passport in their maiden name and their green card in their married name? Does that change anything logistically?

[KazuriSana 324]

1 minute ago, jxn said:

What about the fact that many people have their foreign passport in their maiden name and their green card in their married name? Does that change anything logistically?

A non-issue.

 

At re-entry a person gets their Greencard scanned and fingerprints taken, obviously to match the bearer with the card. The person's passport number is also obviously in the system, and if at all they had any doubts, they can easily look that up, if it is not already displayed on their screen.

 

In any case, be safe and have a copy of the marriage certificate stashed somewhere in your carry-on. Won't take much weight, will it?

 

 

[jxn 86]

Just now, BlessedAssurance said:

A non-issue.

 

At re-entry a person gets their Greencard scanned and fingerprints taken, obviously to match the bearer with the card. The person's passport number is also obviously in the system, and if at all they had any doubts, they can easily look that up, if it is not already displayed on their screen.

 

In any case, be safe and have a copy of the marriage certificate stashed somewhere in your carry-on. Won't take much weight, will it?

 

 

Good point. We already carry a copy of the marriage certificate and photocopies of everything else.

 

Notice though that green card holders aren't required to provide updated passport information to USCIS when they renew their foreign passport. I'm not even sure there is a way to do so if they wanted.

 

Other users have said that upon getting the I-551 stamp, USCIS takes away your two-year green card. So I'm wondering if one would run into issues either leaving a foreign country or entering the U.S. if they have a newly-renewed foreign passport with new passport number not on file with USCIS, as well as the lack of a physical green card.

[KazuriSana 324]

2 minutes ago, jxn said:

Good point. We already carry a copy of the marriage certificate and photocopies of everything else.

 

Notice though that green card holders aren't required to provide updated passport information to USCIS when they renew their foreign passport. I'm not even sure there is a way to do so if they wanted.

In this case, if the person has the actual GC, there should be no issues with a new passport. The GC is the all important document upon which the passport will ride on. CBP folks are more or less concerned with ensuring that the person in the GC is the one entering. They can ascertain that even without the passport.

 

Other users have said that upon getting the I-551 stamp, USCIS takes away your two-year green card. So I'm wondering if one would run into issues either leaving a foreign country or entering the U.S. if they have a newly-renewed foreign passport with new passport number not on file with USCIS, as well as the lack of a physical green card.

Yes the two-year card is taken away.

 

Entering the U.S. should be hassle-free.

 

Frustrations might arise at Point of Departure, where the check-in people at the airline counter may know much about the GC but next to zero about the stamp.

 

[Raph3876 1]

On 3/11/2017 at 6:46 PM, Sukie said:

Go to your local DMV loaded with printouts from the Federal website.  We did that.

 

Sukie in NY

@Sukie which federal website did you refer? I am going to the DMV soon and want to make sure they get the extension letter.

 

Thank you,

 

[jxn 86]

1 hour ago, BlessedAssurance said:

 

Since it looks like the two-year green card gets taken away with the I-551 stamp, I would be wary of expecting hassle-free entry to the U.S. or departure from abroad when factoring in the other factors I listed.

[Leo7777 243]

Several have mentioned about Green Card being taken away if you  get I-551 stamp.

 

But is this just something that is being repeated because someone else posted it?

 

Question:  Who here has actually had their Green Card taken  away when getting I-551 stamp ??

[mindthegap 2,537]

9 minutes ago, Leo7777 said:

Several have mentioned about Green Card being taken away if you  get I-551 stamp.

 

But is this just something that is being repeated because someone else posted it?

 

Question:  Who here has actually had their Green Card taken  away when getting I-551 stamp ??

Not me - it wasn't taken,  nor would I allow it to be taken if they had tried to do so.

Corner cut or hole punched, go nuts, but I want it back - largely because the card itself is my only 'proof' of being a green card holder, that is understandable by a layperson. The majority of people don't even know or understand the stamp, and explaining it is a bit of a chore.

 

Will be testing this again when I go for my second extension stamp in a months time...

Edited March 13, 2017 by mindthegap

[KazuriSana 324]

1 minute ago, Leo7777 said:

Question:  Who here has actually had their Green Card taken  away when getting I-551 stamp ??

Mine was taken away when I got the stamp in my passport after letter of extension expired before ROC was adjudicated. 

 

EVERYONE who had their letter of extension expire, and went for an infopass and had their passport stamped for an extra year, MUST have their GC retained by USCIS. It is not an option one makes, it is the rule. I would like to hear of someone who had the I-551 and retained the GC with them.

 

[KazuriSana 324]

59 minutes ago, mindthegap said:

Not me - it wasn't taken,  nor would I allow it to be taken if they had tried to do so.

Why would you put on horns and try to argue with them? Why would you expect them to look at your case as more special than others whose cards they retain? 

 

Corner cut or hole punched, go nuts, but I want it back - largely because the card itself is my only 'proof' of being a green card holder, that is understandable by a layperson. The majority of people don't even know or understand the stamp, and explaining it is a bit of a chore.

The card is expired. It does not entitle you to or grant you any benefits or anything of any sort in the United States. In fact, you present it expired anywhere even outside the US, and with a "corner cut or hole punch," to boot and you will be laughed out of town.  

 

Even as a souvenir, it is too tiny to frame and hung above the fireplace.

 

Will be testing this again when I go for my second extension stamp in a months time...

If they ask for it, and you refuse to surrender it, you will only be asking for your case to be delayed and/or mired in more muck than it seems to be. And I hope you don't talk to them the way you have put your timeline in your signature.

 

But do let us know of your retention prowess next month please.

 

[Leo7777 243]

I just got PM from person who got Passport Stamp a couple of weeks ago AND kept his Green Card.

This was in Pittsburgh office.

[Leo7777 243]

1 hour ago, BlessedAssurance said:

EVERYONE who had their letter of extension expire, and went for an infopass and had their passport stamped for an extra year, MUST have their GC retained by USCIS. It is not an option one makes, it is the rule.

As I just posted and someone else posted the same . . . Stamp was given and Green Card was not taken.

 

So please give the URL of the website that tells what you have said about 'must' and 'rule.'

[mindthegap 2,537]

12 minutes ago, BlessedAssurance said:

Why would you put on horns and try to argue with them? Why would you expect them to look at your case as more special than others whose cards they retain? 

No horns required. Just asserting my rights and in no way do I ask for, nor expect, special treatment. 

I know of plenty of of people who have not had to surrender their card when receiving the stamp and I have not seen the requirement to do so written down anywhere in law. If this is incorrect, please post a link to the relevant law that states the card must be surrendered, as it will help others.

 

Do (or did) you travel extensively? If so, was it with this silly stamp?

If you do (or did) then you would perhaps be familiar with multiple issues with clueless staff around the world who want to IDB you (thats denied boarding) because you don't have a physical card, and because they don't have a clue what exactly the stamp is.

 Having the expired card, expired extension letter, and the stamp creates a trail, that helps to explain the situation a little better to people who - like the vast majority who have never been through this horrible ROC process - have no idea what it is, or if it is legal. Presenting the letter and an expired card is bad enough, let alone the stamp without anything else to accompany it at all.

Speaking as someone who genuinely travels more in a month than many people do in several years, this whole process is a very real problem indeed, especially as it is holding up my precheck and global entry renewal - adding yet further issues does not help.

 

16 minutes ago, BlessedAssurance said:

The card is expired. It does not entitle you to or grant you any benefits or anything of any sort in the United States. In fact, you present it expired anywhere even outside the US, and with a "corner cut or hole punch," to boot and you will be laughed out of town.  

 

Even as a souvenir, it is too tiny to frame and hung above the fireplace.

My expired card is expired? Really? Thank you for that wonderful nugget of knowledge.

 

I do not claim that it grants me any benefits or anything of the sort. My status is legal, and I am fully aware of this, as are USCIS.

The presence of the expired card in conjunction with other documents helps to prove this current status, nothing more.

This is for the same reason I have all my expired passports and other important documents - to create a trail as and when the need arises. Presenting the expired card with the current stamp has not resulted in any laughs as yet, aside from perhaps at the haircut in the picture.

 

I don't have a fireplace. I do however have pieces of artwork that are worth more than a lot of peoples homes, should I need something to hang above it in the future, but thank you for the suggestion.

Besides, the photo on it is truly awful.

 

21 minutes ago, BlessedAssurance said:

1 hour ago, mindthegap said:

If they ask for it, and you refuse to surrender it, you will only be asking for your case to be delayed and/or mired in more muck than it seems to be. 

I fail to see how refusing to surrender my property is asking for that or how it could do that - especially as you know precisely nothing about me or my personal circumstances.

Regardless, at this point they really are welcome to take as long as they like - preferably until my revised N-400 filing date arrives, and then they can deal with them together, and then I will never have to deal with USCIS ever again.

 

24 minutes ago, BlessedAssurance said:

And I hope you don't talk to them the way you have put your timeline in your signature.

Thanks mom!

No - that is reserved especially for idiots on the internet.

 

Note: Attempting to determine peoples real-life persona based on things they type freely on a forum doesn't always work out too well. It certainly isn't right now in your case. 

 

 

[Hypnos 6,576]

For most people who go and get an I-551 stamp under these circumstances, their expired green card is retained by USCIS. This is their policy.