citycop

Jamaica will not let U fly out with expired GC U have to go to US embassy and get some kind of stamp or

kind of letter, the airlines do not want to pay a fine or giving the person returned a free seat

There we go... SriLanka, Bangladesh,India,Pakistan & now Jamaica, I am sure there are many more places who do not honor I-797.

I still don't understand what Pakistan/India/Sri Lanka has to do with any type of green card that happen to say EXPIRED....I don't understand because when you exit US no one cares, when you enter into Pakistan/India/Sri Lanka they only want to see your Pakistani/Indian/Sri Lanka passport that it's valid, so that as a citizen you do not need any visa, or anything to ENTER the country, that is your homecountry. On the way back, Pakistan/India/Sri Lanka waves goodbye to you no matter if you exit with your passport, or your valid green card, or your expired green card, or your US passport etc...doesn't matter they don't care, you're leaving the country. When you land in the US that's where they want to see: Are you on visa? What visa are you on? What program are you working/studying under? How long are you staying with your B visa, or your VWP? If you are on US passport, "welcome home", if you are on a valid Green card, "welcome back, immigrant!" if you are on an expired green card, then "may I see your valid passport, and your extension letter so that I can see I can allow you back into our country as an immigrant, or you no longer qualify to enter as an immigrant and you should go back to your home country and apply for a visa". Why on Earth would Pakistan/India/Sri Lanka care about your expired green card? It is not the valid green card that allows you to enter the country....US is the one that is concerned as you're entering here...but US knows the extension letter issue otherwise they would not be issued by USCIS....so I still don't understand why you had to do this...but your call....if you feel more confident this way....I would just follow the instruction that they give me instead of trying to figure out some changes that I could do....they know what they are doing...I don't! Anyhow, at the end of the day the decision is yours....just don't be shocked if they see the stamp and still say they need the extension letter to let you back because than you suck big time for your lies....Good luck!

"Why on Earth would Pakistan/India/Sri Lanka care about your expired green card?"

-- Because they want to make sure Airline do NOT carry someone who eventually gets denied admission to the States. Then, the airlines have to carry the deported person back at the cost of their own expense . This is also why customs back there are too worried in the wrong way (any thing expired to them considered as a matter of objection & investigation). Neither they are aware of our immigration rules nor they are interested. I know from my words the reply will come to your mind: "Then just don't go", but I wish I could just do that. Anyway, I firmly believe I-551 is efficient to pass by their security & that's what plan to do only. Only we get back home we are in good hands.

Thanks for all the honest opinions, but honesty at this point wouldn't cut it for us. I am sure none will be there to help us if we get denied of boarding the flight back home so we did whatever was needed to get the job done. Our return flight is also at 3 AM local time & no supervisor from Airlines or immigrations will be assisting us. The only choice we had left is to lie & get the I-551 stamp.

I think the MOST important thing to immigration/customs back in countries like SriLanka,India,Bangladesh,Pakistan is the word EXPIRED. The moment they hear word EXPIRED, you are treated like worthless. Common sense/logic is something they lack of or do not wish to follow.

OK, so me & wife (Wife citizen, me GC holder) had our InfoPass appointment yesterday at local USCIS office regarding I-551 stamp. We plan to visit native country SriLanka soon & what we were told by friends back home that expired green cards are thrown at face & customs at Colombo airport won't even look at the extension letter. So we lied to USCIS saying our extension letter is lost & we need a I-551 stamp. The office just told us to return the expired green card & stamped my passport (1 year validity). We were told that we will need to get my passport stamped if we wish to go out of country after I-551 expires & also told us that we should get my 10 year GC within 6-8 more months. I am now confused by the fact that what to say to officer on our return at Newark airport if immigration folks asks for the expired GC & extension letter ? I guess we will say that we exchanged the GC & NOA1 with I-551. We will carry the copies of exired GC,NOA1 letter & the infoPass appointment token.

I seriously believe USCIS should get rid off the extension letter & replace it with something else (3 year GC may be). What's the point of having the letter when many countries do not even honor it? (Just my own thought)