Reentry to the US with extension letter almost expiring

[N and S 29]

Dear all, 

 

I would like your inputs on my situation. I have currently filed for ROC, and am travelling with my expired green card and the 18 month extension letter (1-797). 

 

I have to be in my home country during November2019- January of 2020. My extension letter expires on mid Feb 2020. Would I be able to come back to the US towards the expiry of my green card extension letter by early Feb 2020? I might be overthinking this...but better to be safe than sorry on matters of USCIS/ CBP, I figure! 

 

Thank you,

N

[GBOS 198]

Yes, as long as you arrive in the US on or before your extension letter expiration date.

 

Remember that the extension letter extends your expired green card by 18 months.

 

If you want to be very safe with that, you can get an infopass appointment and ask for a stamp in your passport, but you will need to tell them that you will return after your extension letter expires, or they won’t provide a stamp since you still have a valid proof.

Edited March 7, 2019 by GBOS

[Ash.1101 1,755]

As the above poster said, as long as you re-enter BEFORE your extension expires you should be fine.

 

just remember they can always pull you into secondary if they want too, but as long as you have your documents you will be good to go.

 

[N and S 29]

Thank you for your inputs GBOS and Ash1101! Helps me to make my plans

[GBOS 198]

4 minutes ago, Ash.1101 said:

As the above poster said, as long as you re-enter BEFORE your extension expires you should be fine.

 

just remember they can always pull you into secondary if they want too, but as long as you have your documents you will be good to go.

 

I think almost everybody I know who returns to the US the first time as a permanent resident gets pulled in to secondary to verify the status.  I did get one too.  After that first time, no problem.

[Ash.1101 1,755]

8 minutes ago, GBOS said:

I think almost everybody I know who returns to the US the first time as a permanent resident gets pulled in to secondary to verify the status.  I did get one too.  After that first time, no problem.

My husband didn’t, and there’s a handful of others here that haven’t based off sharing their experience but it may be random or based on the country you’re from.

[WeGuyGal 1,052]

11 minutes ago, GBOS said:

I think almost everybody I know who returns to the US the first time as a permanent resident gets pulled in to secondary to verify the status.  I did get one too.  After that first time, no problem.

We didn't. Done with CBP within 5 minutes while returning on ROC. No Secondary. Same thing when we first came on a CR1 visa; no Secondary.

 

I think it depends on the airport. 

[GBOS 198]

Secondary inspection for me didn’t take long.  They told me that they saw that my student visa was also still valid, and they just want to have another officer look at it. I just stood there, got my passport back, and I was not asked anything.

[Scandi 3,970]

10 hours ago, WeGuyGal said:

We didn't. Done with CBP within 5 minutes while returning on ROC. No Secondary. Same thing when we first came on a CR1 visa; no Secondary.

 

I think it depends on the airport. 

Same here, "my" airport is LAX and I have never been to secondary. Neither on ESTA, K-1, or greencard.

[Ash.1101 1,755]

11 hours ago, Scandi said:

Same here, "my" airport is LAX and I have never been to secondary. Neither on ESTA, K-1, or greencard.

 

Yea, all the CBP officer did was look at the card and ask my husband if he knew it was expiring in less than 10 days and my husband just told him yes sir and the paperwork has been sent in, and then was on his merry way. Never left the line.