Got My Passport stamped today!!!!

Otoka

Registered Users (C)
Here I am to give some hope to other folks that are in the same situation.
Received Asylum April 1996
Applied for I 485 April \'97
Interview December 2000
Stamped today 1/31/02.
However, my wife did not receive the notice yet even though we applied together.
They asked me for EAD, RTD, Advance paroles. I gave everything and they took everything. On the notice it says that it takes 12 months for the real/plastic card to be mailed. I wonder how actually does it take to get picture wrapped up in the plastic - or maybe that\'s how long does it take to train the new \'bee\'.

I also noticed that there are a lots of new people on every post sitting next to the "experienced" officers. I guess they train bunch of new people.
 
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Congratulations!

You said they took all your old documents such as EAD, RTD, AP. Did they just take them away or did they just check them?

Thanks for the info.
 
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I don\'t know. Why don\'t you check out the "after green card" forum. There are lots of discussion about "plastic card". I don\'t think it makes any difference how you got your stamp.
 
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Congratulations Otoka, and good luck!!
Was your passport expired? If it was renewed, did they say anything about that?
 
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I got the same question as alanpero has. Technically we are not allowed to renew our passports by INS.
And i have another question for anyone who knows, when we travel to another country, can we use our passport to get the visa and show the immigration officer our travel document, or we have to use the travel document to get the visa?
I remember Tim was trying to get the visa to europe, wonder if he has gotten it yet,
 
My passport was valid....

Sorry guys, but they did not take away my RTD. They actually stamped that passport. I asked what I will do when RTD expires, they said to request another one and \'staple it together with the one that is stamped\'. But they also said that that would be unnecessary since I will receive the plastic card soon.
 
Last summer I traveled to Europe with RTD and it was OK

...I received visa from Italian consulate without any problems. I also obtained advance parole for returning to USA and did not have any problems at customs.
 
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Thanks Otoka, We appreciate the info, truly. So, they finally stamped the RTD, even though your passport was valid. Good to know that. Just, one last question: Did you ever renew your passport since you filed your I-485? Thanks
 
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Sorry, I meant your national passport. As I understood your national passport was valid at the time of stamping. However they stamp the RTD (not your national passport, right?). So, the question is: did you ever renew your national passport after you filed your I-485.
Hope I made it clearer this time. Thanks
 
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a little bit confused about what otoka said...should we apply refugee trave ducument or advance parole? r they the same document? And by the way, i saw another message posted that talked about EAD, i thought we were no longer need EAD since we could get unrestricted SSN, and we could work without EAD right?
thx
 
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Asylees need RTDs to travel abroad. AP is not needed even though you have 485 pending. EAD is not needed either, especially after you get a unrestricted SS Card.

What is the situation for people who get their GCs through adjustment from asylee? Do they need Reentry Permit or RTD to travel? Can they travel with their passport from the countries they got asylum from?
 
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It is a good question Tim asking. its like u going back to your own country after getting the greencard. i dont know if it is lawful. but
i think we do can renew our passport because we have greencard to prove our staus in US when we renew the passports at Embassy. And i dont really think the officers in our own embassy have the ability to investigate how we got our greencard from. it is just a gray area, i think, INS may let us pass or may suspect our cases
 
Let me make it clear ...

My country\'s passport expired long time ago(1996) and I have never renewed it. Did not want to compromise the status.
I applied for advance parole just to make it sure INS will let me continue my application. I thought the more the better. Did I really need one - I do not think so - but, better safe then ...
Now, the question is? CAN I travel back to my country or not since my green card is approved? And that is next area of study !!!
 
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otoka, if u have read the previous message, u would notice that going back to your own country is tricky part.
personally i think since we have GCs and become the resident, it should be fine to go back. However, since we got our GCs from aslyum, they may suspect your aslyum case and u may lose GCs.
Like i said, it was tricky because i have asked lot of lawyers and even some INS staffs, some of them said its fine, but some suggest going back after getting the US passport.
I think it really depends on the immigration officer at the airport sometimes, if he lets u in, then u are in, if he does not, then u will be in trouble.
However, if u do want to go back, u have to think some ideas that they wont find out u go back to your own country.
just my own opinion=)
 
Not yet...

Hello all,
 As for the question asked by Susuan, my wife and me applied in Dec. 1999, they called us for finger printing in January 10, 2002 at the application support center, and we did not hear anything from them since. We were both under the impression that we might get an interview within the next month from the date of fingerprinting, so far, just nothing at all, not sure what\'s going to happen.
Take care everyone.
 
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