18 months to renew and receive green card ?

R

rebar

New Member
Hello folks, new here..

I created a account at uscis and sent in all the required documents and $540 fee 18 months ago because the offices are closed due to covid. I have asked uscis why it is taking so long and was told GC "is pending and is within our current processing time." My employer has threatened to fire me.. My drivers license will expire soon and Ive read I need a non expired GC to renew it. If I don't have a drivers license I will lose my job.. Ive read on facebook that I'm not the only one waiting over a year, some for over two years.

What is going on here? Why is the renewal taking so long? Will I lose my license, and then my job?

Thanks!
 
Even if your plastic green card expires, your LPR status does not. I suggest you get an i551 stamp placed in your passport at your local uscis office as proof of your continued LPR status. This is officially acceptable as a List A I9 document for your employer, see https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents

Don’t know about the DL, different states have different rules. The stamp may be acceptable for your DMV too.
 
First, if you presented an unexpired 2-year or 10-year green card, or the I-90 receipt (which is a 12-month extension letter) plus expired green card, for the I-9 when you started your job, your employer is not allowed to re-verify your I-9 when the green card expires. If they fire you for that, that is illegal discrimination (because presumably they don't re-verify the US passports of US citizens when they expire) and you can report them to the Immigrant and Employee Rights Section of the DOJ. (On the other hand, if you presented an immigrant visa which is treated as an I-551 for one year after entry, or you presented an I-551 stamp on your passport, then your employer is supposed to re-verify that when it expires.)

But better yet, you do not have to provide proof of permanent residency to your employer at all -- you can always just present your unrestricted Social Security card (a List C document) plus your unexpired driver's license (a List B document), for the I-9, and the Social Security card never expires.

Why will you lose your job if you don't have a driver's license? Is driving a requirement of your job? What state are you in? Driver's license rules vary by state.
 
Thanks..

My GC was valid for about a year after I was hired. It was a 10 year GC and I'm in Iowa.

When I go "on call" at work, I need the DL. I MUST have a DL to remain employed.

I don't have a unexpired passport because I don't travel abroad anymore but am I required to have a one? And does that mean the I-551 wont help?

Frankly, our HR reps don't have a clue.. They claimed my GC expired 6 months before it actually did, and I was told I need a valid GC to remain employed.

Ive never had a problem renewing my card when the USCIS offices were open and Ive never had a personal problem getting/paying for a renewal because I'm proud to be Austrian. I was in the military, could buy a gun etc. Only thing I cant do is vote.

Thanks again!
 
You can show them this page, which shows that if 2-year or 10-year green cards are presented, they do not have to be re-verified.
Forms I-551 may have:
  • No expiration date. We issued these cards from January 1977 to August 1989.
  • A 10-year expiration date.
  • A two-year expiration date.
  • An extension sticker issued by USCIS which extends the validity of the PRC through the month and year indicated on the sticker.
You may also accept an expired PRC presented with a Form I-797, Notice of Action, receipt notice of Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, as a List A document. The Form I-797 extends the PRC validity for 12 months from the date on the front of the PRC.


Reverification is never required when any of the documents listed above in this section expire.
Click to expand...

Or you can use your unrestricted Social Security card plus your driver's license. (If you got your Social Security card after you got your green card, it will be unrestricted.

I-551 stamps are usually gotten on a passport, so if you can renew your passport and get the I-551 stamp on that, that would be ideal. It is also possible to get an I-551 stamp without a passport; you bring 2 passport photos, and they put the I-551 stamp on a separate piece of paper, an I-94. But getting the I-551 stamp this way is rare, so you might have trouble with people not accepting it.

For the driver's license, I believe you will have to get an I-551 stamp for that. According to this interactive document checklist, they accept either an I-551 stamp on a passport or an I-551 stamp on an I-94.
 
So, what your saying is I first need to apply for a I-94, and then the I-551 ?

But the uscis web site says "If you are a nonimmigrant and need to apply for a new or replacement Form I-94 or Form I-95...."

But I am a immigrant. I was born in Vienna Austria.

I assume I cant renew my passport without a valid GC
 
rebar said:
So, what your saying is I first need to apply for a I-94, and then the I-551 ?

But the uscis web site says "If you are a nonimmigrant and need to apply for a new or replacement Form I-94 or Form I-95...."

But I am a immigrant. I was born in Vienna Austria.

I assume I cant renew my passport without a valid GC
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why would you not be able to renew your passport without a valid GC? Is that an Austrian requirement for renewing from abroad?
 
rebar said:
So, what your saying is I first need to apply for a I-94, and then the I-551 ?

But the uscis web site says "If you are a nonimmigrant and need to apply for a new or replacement Form I-94 or Form I-95...."

But I am a immigrant. I was born in Vienna Austria.

I assume I cant renew my passport without a valid GC
Click to expand...
No, you don't need to apply for an I-94. What happens is you go to get an I-551 stamp without a passport, and you bring passport photos, and they will take a sheet of paper, which says I-94 on it, and they will put the photos and I-551 stamp on that, and give that to you.
 
newacct said:
No, you don't need to apply for an I-94. What happens is you go to get an I-551 stamp without a passport, and you bring passport photos, and they will take a sheet of paper, which says I-94 on it, and they will put the photos and I-551 stamp on that, and give that to you.
Click to expand...

When you say "they", do you mean the Consulate of Austria in Chicago? I just emailed them.

Thanks again.
 
rebar said:
When you say "they", do you mean the Consulate of Austria in Chicago? I just emailed them.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...
No, I meant USCIS. You make an appointment at your local USCIS office to get an I-551 stamp, and ask them to give you the I-551 stamp on a separate I-94 which they print out, not on your passport.
 
By the way, are you sure that the the honorary Austrian consul in Chicago can even handle Austrian passport applications? This page says:
Please note that honorary consulates are only able to provide limited consular services.

Applications for Austrian passports and/or ID cards can only be filed at the Austrian Honorary Consulates in Denver (CO), Miami (FL), and Seattle (WA).
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So it seems that you might have to apply for a passport with the regular consulate in New York.
 
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Also, does your current driver's license say "limited term" on it? If not, then I don't think you need to present proof of status to renew it.
 
newacct said:
No, I meant USCIS. You make an appointment at your local USCIS office to get an I-551 stamp, and ask them to give you the I-551 stamp on a separate I-94 which they print out, not on your passport.
Click to expand...

There are no USCIS offices open! That's why I'm having these problems because there's no one I can talk to..

newacct said:
By the way, are you sure that the the honorary Austrian consul in Chicago can even handle Austrian passport applications?

So it seems that you might have to apply for a passport with the regular consulate in New York.
Click to expand...

No, I'm not sure.. Figures..

All I know is that as a teenager, my mom and I went to the Consulate of Austria in Chicago it get my passport.
 
rebar said:
There are no USCIS offices open! That's why I'm having these problems because there's no one I can talk to..



No, I'm not sure.. Figures..

All I know is that as a teenager, my mom and I went to the Consulate of Austria in Chicago it get my passport.
Click to expand...
What do you mean there are no uscis offices open? People are going in for interviews etc all the time. Where are you? The official page lists all field offices as currently open. https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/uscis-office-closings

You can make an appointment for something like an i551 stamp by calling the uscis contact center https://www.uscis.gov/contactcenter
  • Live Assistance—You may have to wait to speak to a representative by phone. Please try our online tools first. If you want to speak to someone and your issue cannot be resolved right away, your request will be sent to an Immigration Services Officer. We will send you an email to confirm your request and give an estimate when we will contact you. You will also receive a text message and/or email one to two business days before we contact you. Our toll free number is 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833) and our hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm Eastern.
 
newacct said:
Also, does your current driver's license say "limited term" on it? If not, then I don't think you need to present proof of status to renew it.
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No it does not say "limited term".. And I remember renewing eight years ago that I had to produce my GC..

The dot site says.. "Must be an Iowa resident and a United States citizen" to renew online..
And since I'm not a united states citizen, a "Unexpired Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551), including an I-94 with attached photo stamped "I-551 Temporary Proof of Lawful Permanent Resident" or a foreign passport stamped "Processed for I-5

I truly am screwed I fear.. No more USCIS offices open, and the nearest Consulate of Austria is in new york.

Maybe this is destiny, or a sign that i need to retire or take a year off..
 
SusieQQQ said:
What do you mean there are no uscis offices open? People are going in for interviews etc all the time. Where are you? The official page lists all field offices as currently open.

You can make an appointment for something like an i551 stamp by calling the uscis contact center
  • Live Assistance—You may have to wait to speak to a representative by phone. Please try our online tools first. If you want to speak to someone and your issue cannot be resolved right away, your request will be sent to an Immigration Services Officer. We will send you an email to confirm your request and give an estimate when we will contact you. You will also receive a text message and/or email one to two business days before we contact you. Our toll free number is 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833) and our hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm Eastern.
Click to expand...

When I tried to renew online, I was sent a message that I do not have to go in for a bio-metrics appointment due to covid I believe.. And that they would use my old information and send my new card, so I assumed they were all closed..

Ive called that number a million times seems like. And Ive never been able to talk to anyone and hung up frustrated.. Just like on the youtube video called "USCIS 2022 Tip: Hack USCIS Emma Bot, Talk to a Live USCIS Officer" But I hear there is a hack that if you say "infopass", you will be directed to a live agent. Or type "infopass appointment" into the emma chat window..
 
rebar said:
When I tried to renew online, I was sent a message that I do not have to go in for a bio-metrics appointment due to covid I believe.. And that they would use my old information and send my new card, so I assumed they were all closed..

Ive called that number a million times seems like. And Ive never been able to talk to anyone and hung up frustrated.. Just like on the youtube video called "USCIS 2022 Tip: Hack USCIS Emma Bot, Talk to a Live USCIS Officer" But I hear there is a hack that if you say "infopass", you will be directed to a live agent. Or type "infopass appointment" into the emma chat window..
Click to expand...
They were all closed in the early days of covid, but most of them have been reopened since mid to late 2020 already.
If you didn’t have to do biometrics, that meant that they had recent enough biometrics that they could use. It was one way of alleviating some of the backlogs that had built up due to the covid office closures, but by itself did not mean offices were closed.

Seeing as an infopass is exactly what you need, I’d definitely try that hack.
 
SusieQQQ said:
They were all closed in the early days of covid, but most of them have been reopened since mid to late 2020 already.
If you didn’t have to do biometrics, that meant that they had recent enough biometrics that they could use. It was one way of alleviating some of the backlogs that had built up due to the covid office closures, but by itself did not mean offices were closed.

Seeing as an infopass is exactly what you need, I’d definitely try that hack.
Click to expand...

Whats sort of amusing is I found the address and phone number..

Neal Smith Federal Building
210 Walnut Street
Room 215
Des Moines, IA 50309
(515) 284-4114

But the phone number directs me right back the main contact worthless automated robo operator Ive talked to a million times. i sure hope the words "infopass" get me some results..
 
SusieQQQ said:
Even if your plastic green card expires, your LPR status does not. I suggest you get an i551 stamp placed in your passport at your local uscis office as proof of your continued LPR status. This is officially acceptable as a List A I9 document for your employer.

Don’t know about the DL, different states have different rules. The stamp may be acceptable for your DMV too.
Click to expand...

My state/county requires a "unexpired Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551), including an I-94 with attached photo stamped "I-551 Temporary Proof of Lawful Permanent Resident" or a foreign passport stamped "Processed for I-551"

Wow, I didn't need the I-94 with attached photo stamped "I-551 Temporary Proof of Lawful Permanent Resident" last time.. Looks like a trip to Des Moines is inevitable, if they'll take me.
 
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