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Re-entry questions

Quiwi

Quiwi

New Member
Hi,

I have a couple of questions about the re-entry.

a) Why does it have to be submitted while you're physically in the US? Just curious. Because it's mailed it, it could be mailed from anywhere, why do they say you have to be in the US for it?

b) Also why do they have to do the Bio-metric's in the US? Wouldn't it be more efficient to have them done at a consulate in the home city? Especially because that's where the initial ones were done when we had our DV interviews (unless I'm mistaken).

c) The USCIS allow the immigration fee to be paid online, it seems odd that especially for the Re-entry form and how much money it is, they don't allow that to also be paid online. Any reason?

I've filed mine here in the states and will wait for bios before I leave but I'd just been curious about these things and couldn't really find an explanation on it.

I apologize if they've been answered or queried elsewhere, they just stuck in my mind and thought I might just ask :)

Thanks
 
The primary purpose of the GC is for living permanently in the US, so it makes complete sense that should one need to apply for a re-entry permit, the application gets submitted from within the US - the assumption is you're already living in the US but need to be out of the country for a longer period of time. That is one of the ways you proof you have no intention of abandoning your permanent residency, you cannot set such proof in place from a foreign country.

USCIS and US embassies are two different organizations responsible for different tasks and funded from different sources. Approval of re-entry permits is one of the immigration benefits USCIS is responsible for handling - USCIS operates from within the US, so you get to do the bio from the US.
 
In addition to mom's response, I am assuming it's also because - according to the form - the re-entry permit is valid for 2 years from date of issuance. (I didn't actually realize this before - I had thought it was 2 years absence from date of leaving the US.) Of course the intention is to limit the time outside the US. If you can apply from outside the country then they will effectively be allowing you more than two years out the country. And then for argument's sake, if you could apply from outside, how do they decide when you can apply? Would it have to be before your one year normal absence is up? How much before if it is to ensure its issued before that year is up? You can't have people gaming the system by trying to do it retroactively but no doubt many would try. What about the extra admin determining the appropriate expiry date if done from outside? Etc. USCIS already has enough delays on its hands without adding in a potentially very complicated admin process for these forms.

As for biometrics, remember your official green card biodata is also taken within the US at the POE, it's not the one from the embassy.

As for the fee, I'm assuming that's because the form itself is not one of the ones that can be filed online so you'd have yet more admin hassle trying to match up fees and forms if they could be done separately.
 
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