Expired green card - Wanting to return

[cdj2014 0]

I have a 10-year green card, but I left the U.S. in 2014, and it expired in 2018. I didn’t file any extension. I’m now planning to return - will I be allowed entry? Also, I got married and had children outside the U.S., will that affect my chances? My immediate family lives in the US (mom, dad, and sister.) 

 

[milimelo 4,619]

I don't see how you would be an LPR after 10+ years away. 

 

You can probably return, but as a tourist with a tourist visa. 

[Crazy Cat 43,578]

1 hour ago, cdj2014 said:

I have a 10-year green card, but I left the U.S. in 2014, and it expired in 2018. I didn’t file any extension. I’m now planning to return - will I be allowed entry? Also, I got married and had children outside the U.S., will that affect my chances? My immediate family lives in the US (mom, dad, and sister.) 

 

You probably abandoned your Green Card.  What have you done to maintain your residency? I would not be surprised if you are immediately referred to an immigration judge.  This is not a good time to be entering after so long.

Edited yesterday at 05:49 PM by Crazy Cat

[appleblossom 3,833]

1 hour ago, cdj2014 said:

I have a 10-year green card, but I left the U.S. in 2014, and it expired in 2018. I didn’t file any extension. I’m now planning to return - will I be allowed entry? Also, I got married and had children outside the U.S., will that affect my chances? My immediate family lives in the US (mom, dad, and sister.) 

 

 

Any other ties to the US? Do you have a home there? Bank account etc? Have you filed your taxes every year?

 

If not, then I agree you're probably out of luck. You can try entering but as @Crazy Cat said, this is a bad time to be trying to do that, and you're likely to be pressured to give up your GC, or referred to a judge. If your status is gone then your parents could petition you, it won't be quick though. 

[Ontarkie 14,856]

The biggest question would be how will you board a plane with an expired GC? 

[W199 408]

What country/passport are you from?

[OldUser 8,926]

4 hours ago, Ontarkie said:

The biggest question would be how will you board a plane with an expired GC? 

From carrier guide:

 

"A Lawful Permanent Resident may travel to the United States without a passport with a Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551). Cards with expired I-551s may be boarded without penalty if the card was issued with a 10-year expiration date. "

 

But how likely airline is going to honor it, is a question.

[igoyougoduke 1,679]

doesnt the embassy provide a transportation letter for those with lost/expired cards ?  but with this administration it is going to be tricky 

[agrabs 252]

1 hour ago, OldUser said:

From carrier guide:

 

"A Lawful Permanent Resident may travel to the United States without a passport with a Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551). Cards with expired I-551s may be boarded without penalty if the card was issued with a 10-year expiration date. "

 

But how likely airline is going to honor it, is a question.

i would think unlikely but you never know... my husband was denied boarding with a valid AP card - it was in 2013 when the combo cards were relatively new and we flew frontier airlines to cancun.  They would not allow him to board with his Valid AP/Ead combo card. They said he had to have an unexpired  greencard  even though the combo card stated right on it valid for travel.  After i made it back to the states i took it up with frontier airlines and the department of transportation. I was told in writing that the airline can and will refuse boarding if they believe it's at all possible that you will be turned away at the border.  It was just one of those things where the airline employee was not familiar with the combo card yet so they didn't have to honor it. In this I guess it would depend on how educated the airline employee is on the rules regarding expired greencards- even then that only gets you on the plane.

[TBoneTX 46,913]

7 minutes ago, agrabs said:

the airline employee was not familiar with the combo card yet so they didn't have to honor it. In this I guess it would depend on how educated the airline employee is on the rules regarding expired greencards- even then that only gets you on the plane.

The magic words in such instances are, "I'd like for us to include a supervisor in this discussion now, please."

[agrabs 252]

1 minute ago, TBoneTX said:

The magic words in such instances are, "I'd like for us to include a supervisor in this discussion now, please."

We were sitting in the supervisor's office and even the supervisor was telling us we needed the unexpired green card.  I even pulled up the USCIS  website on my phone and showed the supervisor  the combo card information.   they were not budging

[TBoneTX 46,913]

2 minutes ago, agrabs said:

We were sitting in the supervisor's office and even the supervisor was telling us we needed the unexpired green card.  I even pulled up the USCIS  website on my phone and showed the supervisor  the combo card information.   they were not budging

Such a bummer.  Shows how intricate immigration issues can be and how unaware the non-VJ populace is.  There's so much focus on illegal immigration that crucial aspects of legal immigration are completely overlooked.

[JeanneAdil 6,889]

What i pick up on "Also, I got married and had children outside the U.S., will that affect my chances? "

 

you plan to come and leave them behind as they have no status to enter the US?

[W199 408]

11 hours ago, agrabs said:

We were sitting in the supervisor's office and even the supervisor was telling us we needed the unexpired green card.  I even pulled up the USCIS  website on my phone and showed the supervisor  the combo card information.   they were not budging

 

There have been cases like this before, where the airline called CBP and got approval for the passenger to board ... 

[OldUser 8,926]

8 minutes ago, W199 said:

 

There have been cases like this before, where the airline called CBP and got approval for the passenger to board ... 

That's funny though. I'm pretty sure CBP wouldn't guarantee somebody will be admitted to the US. So in effect they're saying: "Airline, go ahead, take a risk. We're not 100% sure we'll let the person in, but you can fly them"? 😃