daijia

3 minutes ago, Angela & Paul said:

That is correct, they did not retain the original and they shouldn’t. 
You should never leave any original document with the airline or TSA. 

Okay sure thanks. I really feel that this is because of the airline did not well trained the agents, and for those agents, they do not dare to do something that they are not certain as if what they did is actually wrong indeed, they might be fined as well. 

So after all, this is really hard to avoid or predict because the problem is not ourselves since we are all well prepared

4 hours ago, Bill & Katya said:

I agree, the original is required to check in and to re-enter at CBP.  In my wife's case, she checked in at Beijing (PEK) with the original, but the check-in agent wanted to keep it.  Luckily, my wife had some copies with her which the gate agent accepted and my wife retained the original for her eventual re-entry in Detroit.  I did not mean to say not to take the original extension letter when traveling, I meant to say also bring some copies just in case.

Which airline did your wife took? I Do have plan to visit China soon (Still thinking🤔)

And she has no other troubles checking in and boarding the plane in PEK? So who did took the copies, the gate agent or the check-in agent?

And you can get a Chinese visa on submitting your copy of green card and the COPY of extension letter?

9 hours ago, Angela & Paul said:

Always bring the ORIGINAL extension letter, not a copy.

My wife has a horrific story when she tried to return from Brazil to the US and she got stopped in Lima, Peru because the agent there asked for the original... even if the airline agent in Sao Paolo let her take the flight to Lima with the copy. The airline (LAN, before they merged with TAM) admitted they made a mistake at the point of origin. She had to spend the night in Lima with our baby who was just a few months old, and that was just 2 days before Christmas Day. They flew her back to Sao Paolo the next day where she waited to received the original letter I mailed her FedEx..

But that's not all, because the first segment of the flight was used - even on their own mistake - , LAN refused to provide her with a new ticket to SFO. I had anticipated potential problems with LAN, a shoddy airline at best, and since I really wanted to spend New Year with her and our son, I had purchased a ticket from Sao Paolo to Los Angeles with Korean Airlines at a pretty hefty price. I drove from SFO bay area to LAX to pick her up on Dec. 31st at 5pm. We had our New Years celebrations in a hotel next to the airport, but couldn't care less.

I wrote the airline in Lima HQ a letter (certified, return receipt,...) asking for reimbursement of the Korean Air ticket, which they promptly ignored.

I told my wife we will never fly LAN ever again and we have kept our words.

 

I am planing , as Bill&Katya suggested, bring both Original and copies in case the check-in agent wants to keep copies.

So I suppose after your wife received the original, the agent only took a look at it but did not retain the original one right?

4 minutes ago, Deagle said:

This happened in Montreal airport wich has a POE for CBP. The Canadian side didnt ask me much, the American side did this. 

 

I told the officer that my fingerprints will not change every hour. Why do you keep taking my fingerprints? He said he was doing his job and just sit and wait. 

 

I didnt file a complaint no although I could. This was my most recent travel in 2018. I dont know how my next travel will be.

Hmm I passed once through YUL with pre-clearance, and the CBP agents' attitude are really bad. They are like interrogating me that I have to respond the question in one second after they asked. But I was not pulled to the secondary inspection though.

This sounds terrible, I am not sure if other people had similar such terrible experiences? Have you read other posts regarding people's feedback of being pulled into secondary inspection? And anyone had similar experiences?

1 minute ago, Deagle said:

 

It was not the TSA. It was the CBP. It was extensive. Took my phone and asked me to open it and they read my messages and looked at all the pictures I had and opened food containers that I had and it was spilled and went to trash and they didnt even bother to say sorry. They took my fingerprints 5 times, every hour an officr will come and take my fingerprints. I dont know if they were just bored because I was the only one in the holding area. 

 

They were asking me if I cook and what type of food and if I like chicken and if I play videogames and took my wallet. During the search my transit flight took off. They put me on a shitty one after and gave me my stuff and said you are all set to leave.

 

It was horrible experience

This sounds to me like a an abuse of authority, because to me there are no need to check you so extensively. The reason that you are a PR is because USCIS had done an extensive search of you entirely.

Did you file complaint afterwards? (I am not sure if you could do so or not? )

And which airport did you land? Did this happen to you afterwards?

Just now, Deagle said:

I was traveling on extension letter and I didn't have any issues when entering the country. A year later I got my GC snd I was brought into secondary inspection upon returning to the US for almost 6 hours.

 

 

Oh sorry to hear that! But they just let you wait there for 6 hours while they are checking documents? So still no extensive interrogation or electronics checked?

Probably you should be thinking to apply for GE, that might really help, plus you get TSA Pre haha.

4 minutes ago, Bzlibem said:

Don’t freak out if it does happen to you, though! I had no idea that the secondary inspection existed when I was pulled in for the first time and it was definitely scary. The room was very small and filled with (detained?) people sleeping on benches and on the floor. I had no idea what to expect so at least you won’t have to go through that! Haha. I edited my previous post with this info, but they usually have you sit down  in that waiting room and they get back to you after some time with your gc and passport. No questions asked or phone search. Plus I read that now CBP can’t search your electronics without reasonable suspicion. 
Have fun on your trip! 

Yes yes just that I would to know what roughly could or might happen during the secondary inspection. I understand no one can provide a precise answer to this, not even a CBP officer. Just it is better to have some expectations rather than knowing nothing. 

Thanks for sharing your experience! It is certainly helpful!

And I hope you will no longer be pulled to secondary inspection. GE card would certainly help

1 minute ago, Bzlibem said:

I’ve been to the secondary inspection every time I returned to the US (traveled with a valid green card). At ORD it usually takes them 30 minutes - 1 hour to verify my info. I applied for the redress number around a year ago but I haven’t been out of country ever since so haven’t gotten a chance to see if it worked or not. 

Oh then it sounds really random. But it is good to hear from first-hand experience about what they do during a secondary inspection. Then there has nothing to worry about since they only spend time checking my info, I was just worried that would do an extensive search on your history and everything.

Because my friend's friend was deported from US after being called for a secondary inspection where the officer looked through his phones and laptops. They even found messages with his friends in US that was already removed from his phone. He was eventually deported, along with all these considerable accusations, because of his "potential intention to settle in the US with B2 visa"., while the friend was just in US for vacation

Since I understand the fact that non-citizens are all subject to secondary inspection, that is what makes me asking this question.  

Just now, Bill & Katya said:

That is a good idea.  There was another thread discussing flying Aeroflot where the member was told by the airline that the AP card was not a valid document for re-entering the US.  It was a PITA for this members family, but eventually they got on with the help of the carrier guide.

 

Good Luck!

Yes that is what I am trying to avoid. I just hope those agents won't be stubborn.

I heard a story that a guy are refused to board on AC plane from Lima back to US with a transfer in Canada. He even showed the documents and the guide for transporters from Canada and US, and the agent still refused to let him board. He has to take another flight by LATAM which he was able to obtain the boarding pass successfully. 

2 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2019-Mar/2019 Carrier Information Guide - ENGLISH.pdf

 

I also found this.

 

U.S. Permanent Residents

All permanent residents of the United States are required to carry an eTA. Therefore their foreign passport must be linked to a valid eTA. They must also travel with proof of their permanent resident status in order to substantiate their visa exemption.

The following documents are proof of U.S. permanent residence:

• U.S. Permanent Resident Card (I-551)
• A temporary I-551 machine-readable immigrant visa (MRIV)
• A temporary I-551 ADIT (Alien Documentation, Identification and Telecommunications System) stamp affixed to a passport or to the Arrival/Departure Record (Form I-94)
• I-797 Notice of Action accompanied by the passenger's expired U.S. PR card
• I-327 Re-entry Permit (can be used to apply for an eTA)
• U.S. Government Issued Transportation Letter/Lincoln Boarding Foil

 

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/trans/guide-eng.html

 

 

You win! 

 

Thank you too!. I plan to print these out and bring them with me when I travel, in case that I encounter a not "well-informed" airline agent at the airport!

Just now, HRQX said:

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/trans/guide-eng.html "I-797 Notice of Action accompanied by the passenger's expired U.S. PR card"

https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2017-Nov/carrier-information-guide-english.pdf

Thank you very much! They are saved in book marks now!

I 

3 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

Are you looking for a Canadian Carrier Guide, or the US CBP Carrier Guide?  I have never seen a Canadian Carrier Guide, but I am quite familiar with the US CBP carrier guide.

I am actually looking for the Canadian Transporter Guide. I saw yesterday that their border agency apparently also has one for airlines

But would you mind attaching a link for the US CBP Carrier Guide since you have mentionned? Thanks a lot!

10 minutes ago, daijia said:

Oh sorry to hear that😬. I think they say if you want to use fast lane, every person that is trvaleling with you has to be eligible I think🤔

Does anyone has link of Carrier Guide from Canadian Border Agency, the one that says having expired GC and NOA are eligible to board?

I saw it yesterday but I forgot to save, and I can't it on Google.

Thanks!

1 minute ago, implife said:

This was our experience this spring at JFK. We were stuck in the general visitor line for over an hour.  Being used to a "fast lane" for US citizens, I was getting antsy, and had to work hard to hold off my feelings about the passport check-in process (the worst I've seen compared to other countries I visited).

Oh sorry to hear that😬. I think they say if you want to use fast lane, every person that is trvaleling with you has to be eligible I think🤔

Just now, Phoenix777 said:

Hi

i did not travel on extension letter but I did travel on Advanced parole/combined work authorization card. And had secondary inspection, NY JFK. No my phone no my staff were checked, they just checked that I really had the pending petition. Everything took around 15 mins. More just waiting with other people. No questions asked. Good luck. 

Thanks for sharing your experience! It is very helpful☺️

Hi,

I would like to ask if anybody has entered Canada using their ETA (arrival by air) after submitting I751?

I got my ETA two years ago using my soon to be expired GC, and it is due to expire soon.

So how do you update it using a green card that is already expired? Because I know the system ask you to enter the expiration date of your GC.

Thanks,

Fernando

5 hours ago, Bill & Katya said:

Sometimes she travels by herself, and sometimes we travel together.  Unless you are spending more time out of the US than inside, I don't think it will be an issue, but certainly keep track of your international travels as if you ever decide to naturalize, you will need to detail your travels outside the US.

 

Good Luck!

Sure thank for your information. They are very useful to me!

3 hours ago, geowrian said:

Not sure about NEXUS, but if you had Global Entry (GE), then you could still use the GE lane. As noted, the automated kiosks won't recognize it, but you can go through the shorter/express line still.

Thanks! I will try just present myself directly to the agent in charge of GE line then!

7 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

I am not sure if you can still use the GE/NEXUS lanes as we did not have that back then (we only got it after my wife naturalized).  Usually, there is a CBP agent that will direct you, but more than likely you will still have to go through the visitor lanes even if traveling with your spouse.

Okay sure! Thanks!

Does your wife usually travel alone? Because I love to travel but my wife is always busy with her work, so I usually travel by myself. We only get to travel together domestically during special occasions like her birthday, but still not very often

Not sure if keep doing this while my case is pending would be a problem? I mean would it be shown as suspicious or not a good faith of a bona fide marriage? 🤔

4 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

I am not sure anyone knows what would drive CBP to pull someone into secondary traveling with an extension letter.  One thing is that when traveling on a letter, one cannot use the kiosks, so maybe if it is busy, the CBP officer at the first window finds it easier to shuttle the traveler off to secondary.  Another possible reason would be if the traveler does not present the original letter.

 

Anyway, it is all speculation, and completely up to the CBP officer one meets upon re-entry.

Oh right, about the kiosk. I applied for NEXUS card and it is approved using my soon-to-be expiree GC.

So do you know if I am still able to use the priority lane? ( I Read that I don't have to use the Global Entry/NEXUS kiosk, I can choose to present myself directly to an officer that is in charge of the priority line). Just now sure if I am eligible to even enter the line

And yes CBP sometimes is acting really out of nowhere, i guess just act normal should be fine. I was just worried previously that they would check me like a tourist, with my phones, laptops and interrogating me😂

2 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

My wife traveled multiple times with her expired GC and extension letter, and was never pulled into secondary.  A few times Customs conducted a baggage search, but we think that was more random.  One other suggestion, when you get your extension letter, make a few copies of it and keep the watermarked original safe.  One time at check in the airline wanted to keep a copy of my wife’s letter, luckily she had some as you need to present the original at CBP.

 

Good Luck!

Ah. You guys are so lucky that never get pulled into secondary!

And sure, I will surely do that when I receive my NOA which I expect to receive it soon in my mail! Thanks for the advice!

1 minute ago, HRQX said:

They verify your status. It's normal.

Okay thanks!

I was worried that they are suspicious of me, and that is the reason people are called in for the secondary😅

Hi,

I have just submitted my I751 package.

I understand I am allowed to travel outside of US. However, I have heard of that some people are subject to secondary inspection upon the return to US, even though they have presented expired GC and Letter of Extension.

So, has anybody had real experiences with secondary inspection in US airport when they return?

What will they usually do ? I hope it is not the kind where they will be checking ur phone and stuff

Thanks!

Fernando

30 minutes ago, Caribbean Girl said:

As soon as you have the extension letter and the expired Green card it's ok. Yes once by air and the other time it was driving.

I don't know if the French passport helped here. They mostly checked the GC and the extension letter everytime.

Sure. Thanks!  So when you arrive by air, were you using the ETA that you applied prior to the expiration of your GC? Or did you apply to a new ETA?

Hi,

Does anyone who has experience with being sent to secondary inspection? What will they usually do during the secondary inspection?

In my mind, probably because of these horror stories I have heard, secondary inspection sounds like they will check your phone or electronics to see if you are admissible or not. I hope this won't be the case since I am already a PR just travelling with expired GC along with NOA

I just submitted my I-751 package, I am hoping to get my NOA soon in mail!

3 minutes ago, Caribbean Girl said:

I went to Canada with my expired GC and extension letter and I didn't have any problem. They didn't stamp my passport.

Hi,

Thank you such good news. But were you able to arrive by air? Because I applied my ETA while having my valid green card, I am not sure if it would still be valid after my green card expires, or can I even renew it once my existing ETA expires?

PS: I see that you are from France, so you are suppose to be able to enter Canada without a visa. Do you think this might be a factor here?

Thanks!