IR5 expiry date

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pkk_123

New Member
My mother's IR5 visa has an expiry date of early June. Earlier she had planned to travel within this date to US, but it looks like it may not be prudent to travel due to COVID-19 situation.
1) Would she be able to get an extension/re-issuance of this immigrant visa? If so, what is the procedure for doing that?
2) What if the Embassy does not open before her IR5 expires? Can she apply for re-issuance after that? Within how many months can she apply?
3) Would she have to go through the medical exam/Police cert/Biometric again (I am assuming these are valid for a certain duration)?
4) Can she apply this by post or through an agent? Would she have to go to Mumbai for that (since the travel from hometown to Mumbai is a burden)?
5) Since this is due to COVID-19 and not a choice on her part, would this be considered an extraordinary circumstance? (we are hoping we wont have to go through the whole green card application entirely.) What part of the application process needs repeating?

Thanks for you help in advance.
 
My mother has similar issue. Her IR5 stamp expires on May 27th. Can someone please help in what needs to be done to extend the i551 stamp on passport? Can the extension be filed online? What form needs to be filed for that? Thanks for your help!
 
sriram1975 said:
My mother has similar issue. Her IR5 stamp expires on May 27th. Can someone please help in what needs to be done to extend the i551 stamp on passport? Can the extension be filed online? What form needs to be filed for that? Thanks for your help!
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I am in the same boat. Any update from your side?
 
No updates yet. Looks like Mumbai consulate is still not taking appointments for immigrant visa renewals.
 
Does anyone have any update on, if the Mumbai embassy has started re-issuance of IR5 visa (that was expired during travel restrictions)? Also, can the extension be filed online to avoid additional travel? Is there a time limit on how many months after the initial IR5 expiry date, can it be re-issued? Thanks in advance.
 
I wrote to my local senator and congressman lamenting the limbo of not being able to apply for a visa re-issuance for parents for someone who already got the I-551 stamp on passport or some amnesty to let them travel or some arrangement on arrival so that they can join their family in the US. Looks like it might be October or November before the Mumbai Consulate might re-open!
 
Response I got from Congressman's office which was from the Delhi US Embassy! Looks like anyone that has an expired IR5 that couldn't travel due to COVID won't be able to get a new one reissued until Dec 31!

Dear Congressman xxxxx:
Thank you for your inquiry of August 13 on behalf of your constituent, xxxxx, regarding the IR5 visa application of xxxxx.

Under the COVID Presidential Proclamations, the Department of State temporarily will not issue certain immigrant visas, including IR5 visas, apart from certain exceptions as laid out in the Proclamation itself. Ms. xxxxx is advised to contact the Consulate after the Proclamation expires (December 31, 2020), for instructions on applying again for the visa. After this date, it may be possible to proceed with processing visas that were subject to the proclamation; and/or to re-issue an unused and expired immigrant visa on payment of new visa processing fees and updated supporting documents, as required
 
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