AOSFairfax

Just got notification that my interview was scheduled for late April!

Just got notification that my interview was scheduled for late April!

Hey there! I'm also from Greece and have the same problem since as you know, Greece won't let you change your last name. But to answer your question, yes, you should be good to go. I have taken multiple trips to Greece and other countries with my Greek passport that has my maiden name, ticket booked in that maiden name, and GC in married name. Entering Greece / other countries, border authorities won't typically care what is on your GC. To board back to the US, they'll check your GC but I've never had them ask why the names are different. Once in the US, CBP cares about the GC itself for the most part and I've never had them ask anything about the names. I always carry a copy of our marriage certificate just in case.
 
Now, what I haven't quite figured out is what to do once my naturalization is approved since I'll have 2 passports with 2 last names but as far as traveling on a GC, you should be okay!

Received my 48 month extension letter. At least I won’t have to worry about getting an ADIT stamp next year

No status update, just showed up in the mail

Received my 48 month extension letter. At least I won’t have to worry about getting an ADIT stamp next year

Send everything you have.
Write a letter - just like your post - detailing what you don't have and why. 
 
Get affidavits from friends, family, neighbours, people that knew you together, however insignificant. Get an affidavit from his mother stating she owned the place you lived. If you are low on evidence, any extra document will help. 
 
If you were living together in the UK, then send stuff from that time if you have any - it's technically not included as it is before you became a PR,  but it all helps to build a picture of genuinity in the mind of the adjudicator.
Council tax bills, phone bills, UK tax returns (did he file his US tax return while living there, like he is supposed to? If so, his tax return will show his UK address, which will match your UK documents). Hell, even NHS letters or documents, or junk mail showing the same address will help.
Get those bank statements. Highlight the transfers between you. Pull your flight records. Get your phone bills. Screenshot phone messages. Screenshot your inbox with every mail between you. Write a bit about every picture you have together.
Build that picture in the mind of the adjudicator.
 
Are you actually divorced now? If so, you can file the I-751 at any time - it does not have to be in the usual 90 day window.
 
And don't worry, it's a very, very long process, and you remain a permanent resident throughout and can travel and work.
Even if it is ultimately denied for lack of evidence, you have years and years ahead of you here before anything even approaching an order of removal would happen, and many options available to you before that point. 

I would tend to agree with all the reasons provided here in favor of naturalizing (ease of every day life, not dealing with USCIS, can move abroad without worrying about keeping GC, more options for the future, etc). One thing that I haven't yet seen mentioned, is the ability to vote. And not just Presidential or US Congress / Senate elections but also, and perhaps most importantly, local elections. The ability to have a say in laws and regulations that impact your daily life I don't think can be overlooked. And it's definitely a privilege not everyone around the world has.

Interview scheduled for January 31, 2023

I’m not at all familiar with the I-360 process but from some quick research it looks like it would require a juvenile court to have issued an order finding that the child is indeed abandoned, is a dependent of the court, state, or of an individual appointed by the court, and it is not in their best interest to return to their home country etc 
 
https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-US/eb4/SIJ
 
Is the couple the legal guardians of the child? 

I’m not at all familiar with the I-360 process but from some quick research it looks like it would require a juvenile court to have issued an order finding that the child is indeed abandoned, is a dependent of the court, state, or of an individual appointed by the court, and it is not in their best interest to return to their home country etc 
 
https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-US/eb4/SIJ
 
Is the couple the legal guardians of the child? 

As a Greek citizen myself, it is well known that Greek government or airport employees can barely answer competently on questions regarding Greece’s own bureaucratic processes so why she chose to believe a random Greek person’s account of US immigration is beyond me. Also, covid lockdowns would not have prevented her from coming back to the US at any point. As others have mentioned, an LPR is not eligible for an ESTA and an LPR cannot split their time between the US and another country, and spend significant amounts of time outside the US without risking losing their status, especially without having applied for a re-entry permit prior to departure. A green card is for living permanently in the US, the ability to split time between two countries is only afforded to citizens. 
 
Regardless, your relative needs to decide where she wants to live. If its the US, then she needs to exit the country, attempt to come back using her GC, and then stay here for a considerable amount of time before trying to leaving again (aka there are not going to be Greek summers in her near future as most expats do). If later on she wants the freedom to split her time between the two countries, she’s going to have to naturalize and meet the continuous residency requirements for that. Once she’s a citizen she can do as she pleases. 
 
If on the other hand she wants to live in Greece, she can relinquish her GC and be on her way. Best of luck!

No, it was at the Texas Service Center

If it’s a priority for either of them to retain their green card, I would absolutely not travel on Dec. 9th or for a few more months at least. And next time they do travel, it can’t be for an indefinite period of time, especially without a re entry permit. I concur with the others that the CBP officer was likely having a good day and let them in with a warning this time but they can absolutely not expect or hope for that next time. 
A green card is for living in the US on a permanent basis and you are not granted the same flexibility of splitting time between the US and another country as if you were a US citizen. On that note, if they do ever want to naturalize so as to have the option later on of spending longer periods of time abroad, there are continuous residency requirements they would have to meet. The sooner they meet those, the sooner they can naturalize and have flexibility with their travel and living arrangements. 

This is pretty standard for N-400 filings with a pending I-751. 

If it’s a priority for either of them to retain their green card, I would absolutely not travel on Dec. 9th or for a few more months at least. And next time they do travel, it can’t be for an indefinite period of time, especially without a re entry permit. I concur with the others that the CBP officer was likely having a good day and let them in with a warning this time but they can absolutely not expect or hope for that next time. 
A green card is for living in the US on a permanent basis and you are not granted the same flexibility of splitting time between the US and another country as if you were a US citizen. On that note, if they do ever want to naturalize so as to have the option later on of spending longer periods of time abroad, there are continuous residency requirements they would have to meet. The sooner they meet those, the sooner they can naturalize and have flexibility with their travel and living arrangements. 

If it’s a priority for either of them to retain their green card, I would absolutely not travel on Dec. 9th or for a few more months at least. And next time they do travel, it can’t be for an indefinite period of time, especially without a re entry permit. I concur with the others that the CBP officer was likely having a good day and let them in with a warning this time but they can absolutely not expect or hope for that next time. 
A green card is for living in the US on a permanent basis and you are not granted the same flexibility of splitting time between the US and another country as if you were a US citizen. On that note, if they do ever want to naturalize so as to have the option later on of spending longer periods of time abroad, there are continuous residency requirements they would have to meet. The sooner they meet those, the sooner they can naturalize and have flexibility with their travel and living arrangements. 

I would tend to agree with all the reasons provided here in favor of naturalizing (ease of every day life, not dealing with USCIS, can move abroad without worrying about keeping GC, more options for the future, etc). One thing that I haven't yet seen mentioned, is the ability to vote. And not just Presidential or US Congress / Senate elections but also, and perhaps most importantly, local elections. The ability to have a say in laws and regulations that impact your daily life I don't think can be overlooked. And it's definitely a privilege not everyone around the world has.

I would tend to agree with all the reasons provided here in favor of naturalizing (ease of every day life, not dealing with USCIS, can move abroad without worrying about keeping GC, more options for the future, etc). One thing that I haven't yet seen mentioned, is the ability to vote. And not just Presidential or US Congress / Senate elections but also, and perhaps most importantly, local elections. The ability to have a say in laws and regulations that impact your daily life I don't think can be overlooked. And it's definitely a privilege not everyone around the world has.

I would tend to agree with all the reasons provided here in favor of naturalizing (ease of every day life, not dealing with USCIS, can move abroad without worrying about keeping GC, more options for the future, etc). One thing that I haven't yet seen mentioned, is the ability to vote. And not just Presidential or US Congress / Senate elections but also, and perhaps most importantly, local elections. The ability to have a say in laws and regulations that impact your daily life I don't think can be overlooked. And it's definitely a privilege not everyone around the world has.

I would tend to agree with all the reasons provided here in favor of naturalizing (ease of every day life, not dealing with USCIS, can move abroad without worrying about keeping GC, more options for the future, etc). One thing that I haven't yet seen mentioned, is the ability to vote. And not just Presidential or US Congress / Senate elections but also, and perhaps most importantly, local elections. The ability to have a say in laws and regulations that impact your daily life I don't think can be overlooked. And it's definitely a privilege not everyone around the world has.

I would tend to agree with all the reasons provided here in favor of naturalizing (ease of every day life, not dealing with USCIS, can move abroad without worrying about keeping GC, more options for the future, etc). One thing that I haven't yet seen mentioned, is the ability to vote. And not just Presidential or US Congress / Senate elections but also, and perhaps most importantly, local elections. The ability to have a say in laws and regulations that impact your daily life I don't think can be overlooked. And it's definitely a privilege not everyone around the world has.

I would tend to agree with all the reasons provided here in favor of naturalizing (ease of every day life, not dealing with USCIS, can move abroad without worrying about keeping GC, more options for the future, etc). One thing that I haven't yet seen mentioned, is the ability to vote. And not just Presidential or US Congress / Senate elections but also, and perhaps most importantly, local elections. The ability to have a say in laws and regulations that impact your daily life I don't think can be overlooked. And it's definitely a privilege not everyone around the world has.

I would tend to agree with all the reasons provided here in favor of naturalizing (ease of every day life, not dealing with USCIS, can move abroad without worrying about keeping GC, more options for the future, etc). One thing that I haven't yet seen mentioned, is the ability to vote. And not just Presidential or US Congress / Senate elections but also, and perhaps most importantly, local elections. The ability to have a say in laws and regulations that impact your daily life I don't think can be overlooked. And it's definitely a privilege not everyone around the world has.

I would tend to agree with all the reasons provided here in favor of naturalizing (ease of every day life, not dealing with USCIS, can move abroad without worrying about keeping GC, more options for the future, etc). One thing that I haven't yet seen mentioned, is the ability to vote. And not just Presidential or US Congress / Senate elections but also, and perhaps most importantly, local elections. The ability to have a say in laws and regulations that impact your daily life I don't think can be overlooked. And it's definitely a privilege not everyone around the world has.