sandrajaye

Just a quick update...Received my 10 year green card today. I received notice of card production and approval on the 26th of June. Although it seems to take forever to be approved, once done it is only a matter of days before you will have the card in hand (in my case, four working days). Good luck to all those following. Again, patience is a virtue..

We finally received our "card production ordered" email today from Nebraska. For those following the Nebraska timelines, our NOA DATE for the 751 was October 26, 2006. 8 months to the day. In 4 months we can start our last leg of this cumbersome process...N400 and then we are finished forever, assuming of course that I pass the citizenship test. Good luck to all those waiting for your 10 year card. Patience certainly is a virtue.

I just returned from Mexico yesterday with my 551 Stamp, NOA papers and my expired green card. I entered into the country in Dallas and was immediately sent into immigration. The immigration officer who first talked to me (prior to being sent to immigration offices) advised that all those entering the country without a valid greencard and only 551 stamps, NOA papers, etc will be sent to immigration...the reason for this is that they are finding that 551 stamps can and are in some cases fraudulent and therefore, additional checks and balances are required by INS into their systems to prove you are legit. I was detained by INS about 20 minutes while they checked out my status and my NOA information. If I were you, I would not leave the country until you have your NOA papers.

You had your "NOA papers" -- your NOA1 authorizing you to travel -- and you were still detained?

James, yes I had my NOA paper authrorizing work and travel plus a 551 stamp in my passport, good until January 8, 2008.

The officer still sent me into the INS offices because they are seeing more and more fraudulent documents of this type. He indicated that the officers have been instructed to send all those with these documents into the office for additional checks. This guy may have been more vigilant than most or maybe it was because I was coming in from Mexico (I am Canadian). Who knows; but i do know I was home to Canada one month ago and had no problem coming back into the USA at that time so certainly what happened yesterday was completely unexpected. My advice to all is to make sure you have all the documents available. You could be inconvenienced if you are hauled into the INS office, but as long as you have all your documents and I do mean all, you will be on your way quickly.

I just returned from Mexico yesterday with my 551 Stamp, NOA papers and my expired green card. I entered into the country in Dallas and was immediately sent into immigration. The immigration officer who first talked to me (prior to being sent to immigration offices) advised that all those entering the country without a valid greencard and only 551 stamps, NOA papers, etc will be sent to immigration...the reason for this is that they are finding that 551 stamps can and are in some cases fraudulent and therefore, additional checks and balances are required by INS into their systems to prove you are legit. I was detained by INS about 20 minutes while they checked out my status and my NOA information. If I were you, I would not leave the country until you have your NOA papers.

Call me silly, but we went through the Fiancee visa process in 2004. Delays were really lenghty back then (at least for Canadians) and we were finally approved in April 2005 (after 6 months). Word at that time for the delays and falling in behind everyone else (especially Britain)...Canada did not support the Iraq war, therefore, are not friends of Bush...therefore, on the lower rungs of the ladder in terms of priority. It seems to me that looking at a lot of the Canadian visas, waivers, etc.. still going through...Canada is still at the back of the bus in terms of timing..Food for thought. Just my two cents worth...