My conditional green card expired in April 2016. I submitted my I-751 petition for removal of conditions in early February 2016 and received a receipt notice in mid-February 2016 stating that my "conditional resident status is extended for a period of one year. During the one-year extension you are authorized employment and travel." I still haven't received an outcome on my I-751 petition.
My questions are:
Is there any authoritative information that clearly, definitively, states whether the one-year extension is one year from the date of the receipt notice (i.e., mid-February 2017) or one year from the date of the green card expiration (i.e., April 2017)? I have scoured the Internet and found both interpretations. For example, page 133 of this USCIS document (https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/About Us/Electronic Reading Room/Customer Service Reference Guide/Permanent-Residents4-3.pdf) states that "USCIS will extend your conditional resident status for up to 12 months from the receipt date" (which supports the first interpretation), while this guidance (http://lawandborder.com/guide-form-751-petition-remove-conditions-residence/#310_What_if_the_I-751_Is_Still_Pending_More_Than_One_Year_After_the_I-551_Has_Expired) states, at 3.10, that the status is extended "for a full year beyond the date shown on the I-551" (which supports the second interpretation). I have also read people (on this forum and others) state that they have been told both interpretations at Infopass appointments or by immigration officers. So, is anyone aware of a reliable authority that backs up one view over another, not just your own personal opinions/interpretations?
I am traveling abroad from early to late February, so if the first interpretation is correct and my proof of residency only goes up to mid-February, then I could have difficulty getting back into the U.S. As such, I made an appointment with Infopass scheduled for mid-late January to request a temporary I-551 stamp in my passport. I am worried that the Infopass officer could adopt the second interpretation and say "I'm not giving you a temporary stamp because your status doesn't expire until April, which is months from now." If that happens, the airline personnel or immigration officers at the airport could still take the opposite view and refuse me entry because they believe my status expired in mid-February. So, my question is: How likely/unlikely is it that the Infopass officer will stamp my passport at this stage? If I tell them about the conflicting interpretation above, show my travel documents, and request the passport stamp, will they give it to me, even if they think I don't need it until April?
Waiting 1 year on I-751 and Seeking Temporary Passport Stamp
in Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion
Posted
My conditional green card expired in April 2016. I submitted my I-751 petition for removal of conditions in early February 2016 and received a receipt notice in mid-February 2016 stating that my "conditional resident status is extended for a period of one year. During the one-year extension you are authorized employment and travel." I still haven't received an outcome on my I-751 petition.
My questions are:
Thank you so much, in advance, for your help!