Traveling with "expired" green card and 1 year extension letter - NYC Advice?

[splatcollision]

Hi Everyone -

Just registered so that I can ask this important question here:

I am a us citizen, and my wife has a conditional green card. We have filed the I-751 for removal of the conditional status (the 2-year period), and have received a letter extending her green card 1 year while we wait for the I-751 to be processed.

Now, this letter states that it authorizes travel, but we are nervous about her coming back into the country with just her technically expired green card and this letter. We've heard about getting her passport stamped, but with the new infopass system (which is apparently crap, we are in new york city, and it always says no appointments available!!!) we are being told that they don't accept walk-ins for getting her passport stamped with a temporary I-551 stamp.

Does anybody have any advice or suggestions? Is it possible to still walk-in to the downtown new york office at federal plaza, (I know we have to get to the 3rd floor, room 3-310) and get this stamp? Or, does anybody have experience returning to the country with the same documents?

Thanks in advance...
K

 

[splatcollision]

Ok, well an update - Found out that Infopass actually has appointments available today for 2 weeks from now - we have an appointment and will be going to get my wife's passport stamped.

Any re-entry experiences would be great still.

Thanks,
K

 

[highlander]

Hi Everyone -

Just registered so that I can ask this important question here:

I am a us citizen, and my wife has a conditional green card. We have filed the I-751 for removal of the conditional status (the 2-year period), and have received a letter extending her green card 1 year while we wait for the I-751 to be processed.

Now, this letter states that it authorizes travel, but we are nervous about her coming back into the country with just her technically expired green card and this letter. We've heard about getting her passport stamped, but with the new infopass system (which is apparently crap, we are in new york city, and it always says no appointments available!!!) we are being told that they don't accept walk-ins for getting her passport stamped with a temporary I-551 stamp.

Does anybody have any advice or suggestions? Is it possible to still walk-in to the downtown new york office at federal plaza, (I know we have to get to the 3rd floor, room 3-310) and get this stamp? Or, does anybody have experience returning to the country with the same documents?

Thanks in advance...
K

Dear Splatcollision,

I am a Conditional Green Card expired and with the letter extending it until January 2005. I have travelled outside the US and came back with the letter. No problem. I just show the GC and the letter to the US CIS agent. 2 seconds. Then he says "Welcome to the USA". Super easy. Don't be nervous. If US CIS says your GC is extended for 1 year, believe them.