Do I need a second reentry permit?

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Filipok

Registered Users (C)
I am a US Permanent Resident and have been living in Europe since April 2008 due to personal circumstances. In September 2008, I came to the US to apply for a Reentry Permit, then came for fingerprinting in October 2008, then received my first Reentry Permit in November 2008. I was out of country almost 2 years until Sept 10.

I spent one week in the US this September, entered with my current RP, got a verbal warning and a lot of questions about my circumstances at the airport, but they did let me in and didn't put any notes or special stamps anywhere in my documents.

While in the US, I applied for a second Reentry Permit because I had to be in the US at the moment when USCIS received my application. I sent my current RP with the application as per USICS requirements. Then I came back to Europe and was going to return to the US for a short visit for biometrics (fingerprinting). Last week I received my biometrics appointment to the address I use in the States, but for some reason the letter arrived too late and I missed the appointment.

Now I have 2 options:

1. Request to reschedule the appointment. I can do it by sending the biometrics letter back and ticking the appropriate box, perhaps also including a short note asking them to give me a bit more notice this time to make sure I get the letter on time. As I am currently abroad I'll have to get the letter forwarded to me and then send it to USCIS from abroad.

2. Forget about the money I spent applying for a second RP (almost $400) and just stay in Europe until December-January and then enter the US without RP within 6 months of my last departure in September.

Given that my intention is to move back to the US in December-January anyway, is it worth getting a second RP? Would getting or not getting it be riskier in my situation? Also, if I decide not to get it and inform USCIS about this decision would that in any way put me at risk? Would getting a second RP now affect me in the future if i decide to apply for another RP at some point, for example, after staying in the US for a couple of years?

Any advice would be highly appreciated.
 
If you are returning within 6 months, I do not see a big issue. At worst, they will give you a warning, but as long as you do not leave US again, you should be fine.
 
Be careful here Fillipok. The Board Police by the name of Namecheckvictim will not like your post. It is too similar to one you asked before, in a different way. People like me appreciate reading your questions and subsequent civilized /helpful answers but beware of a nasty comment by him/her.
 
Thanks you sanjoseaug20 and vandeluca. This post is about a different subject and not identical to my other post, though there is some repetition to give background information.

Here is another question I have. I read on my biometrics appointment letter that if i "fail to appear as scheduled, my application will be considered abandoned". I have missed my appointment so yes, I failed to do that. Is it even worth sending the letter back and asking them to reschedule? Should I call and find out if the applicatiion has already been rejected and considered abandoned?
 
Ultimately this thread is about the same person dealing with the same underlying situation as your prior thread; it would have been more "user friendly" to readers if you posted it in that thread. Keeping it in the same thread would maintain the context and background better, and would avoid creating two apparently duplicate threads displayed in the forum index -- such apparent duplicates deter readers and responders.

Anyway, to answer your question -- generally if you miss the biometrics by 1 or 2 weeks, you can do a walk-in and they usually will still accept you, if they haven't canceled your application yet (and usually it takes more than a couple weeks before they get around to doing such cancellation). So you still may be able to get it done, depending on how long ago the appointment was.
 
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Jackolantern said:
Ultimately this thread is about the same person dealing with the same underlying situation as your prior thread; it would have been more "user friendly" to readers if you posted it in that thread. Keeping it in the same thread would maintain the context and background better, and would avoid creating two apparently duplicate threads displayed in the forum index -- such apparent duplicates deter readers and responders.

Anyway, to answer your question -- generally if you miss the biometrics by 1 or 2 weeks, you can do a walk-in and they usually will still accept you, if they haven't canceled your application yet (and usually it takes more than a couple weeks before they get around to doing such cancellation). So you still may be able to get it done, depending on how long ago the appointment was.
Click to expand...

I'll keep that in mind before posting new threads in the future.

Thank you for your answer. I called USCIS and was told that it should still be possible to reschedule if I send a request. I should send their letter back with the appropriate box ticked and include a note explaining why I couldn't make it.

The appointment date was at the end of last week. I understand that if i arrive by the end of this week/beginning of next week to the center and just walk in with my current appointment letter I'll have a pretty good chance of being fingerprinted, although nothing is certain. Sending the letter back and requesting another appointment would buy me some time since I'm not 100% sure whether I need a second RP in my situation or it's just overkill given that my intention is to move back permanently by the end of winter which will still be less than 6 months from my last departure.

Now, if i request another appointment, would that reset their clock in terms of rejecting the application due to missing the initial appointment? If they do reject it, would i be able to find out if I call them or check my status online? Would this rejection negatively affect my ability to enter the US on my return? What would be better in this regard - their rejection, my cancellation of application, or getting a Reentry Permit?
 
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While it is true that your entry in December will be less than 6 months from your last departure, this trip is not an isolated one; it was preceded by a number of other long trips, and you were warned before. The second RP in your situation is an important tool for reducing the chance of hassle at the POE (a hassle which could include confiscation of your GC, given that you were warned before).

Your chances of getting the FP done are better if you show up for a walk-in, since that immediately registers your FP in their system, whereas it could take a couple weeks before somebody actually reads your reschedule request, by which time somebody else at USCIS may have already canceled your application for missing the FP. Normally the reschedule requests are to be sent before the specified FP appointment date, when you know in advance that you can't make it.
 
I am currently abroad. There is no valid reentry permit as I sent the current one with my application. If I enter the counrty for a couple of days just to get fingerprinted without a valid Reentry Permit the chances of getting hassled at the border will probably be about the same as if I enter without one in December-January when I move there permanently, won't they?
 
Your chances of being hassled are probably a bit less if you enter now for the fingerprinting, since the trip duration would be less ... but either way you're facing the likelihood of some hassle.
 
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