LPR (formerly asylee) must get national passport now?!

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NYCMan

Registered Users (C)
Glad to have found this forum, and hopeful to fiind answers.

A couple of days ago I was re-entrering the US with a greencard and reentry permit. The officer told me she wanted to see my national passport, and that reentry permit is not a passport. I am originally an asylee from Ukraine, and for those who know it's impossible to get a passport from their consulate. I told her I could not get the passport, and she said I have to go to consulate in Washington and to get one, and then she typed the note into my file, and told me she notated my file to that affect. What she wrote I am not sure though. I thought this would only make sense that I would not be willing to get a passport from the country of persecution, but the last thing I wanted to do was to argue with the INS officer.

I am concerned, as I don't know what she put into my file, but presume it is a note that next time I travel I must have the passport (?). Does this mean I can't travel on my reentry permit (?) any more, and will have problem reentereing next time with the note on my file (?).

The only way for me to get the passport is to go back to Ukraine on a one-way letter. And this is the last thing I am willing to do, i.e. there is no way I am going back to that country.

If anyone has had similar experiences or suggestions please advice. I was thinking to call INS but I probably wont get to talk to a person who can clarify this for me.... Thanks everyone.
 
The inspector is crazy. When I interviewed for my green card, the officer told me twice not to use my passport after adjustment.

If I were you, I would write a letter of complaint to DHS HQ in DC about this kind of attitude.


NYCMan said:
Glad to have found this forum, and hopeful to fiind answers.

A couple of days ago I was re-entrering the US with a greencard and reentry permit. The officer told me she wanted to see my national passport, and that reentry permit is not a passport. I am originally an asylee from Ukraine, and for those who know it's impossible to get a passport from their consulate. I told her I could not get the passport, and she said I have to go to consulate in Washington and to get one, and then she typed the note into my file, and told me she notated my file to that affect. What she wrote I am not sure though. I thought this would only make sense that I would not be willing to get a passport from the country of persecution, but the last thing I wanted to do was to argue with the INS officer.

I am concerned, as I don't know what she put into my file, but presume it is a note that next time I travel I must have the passport (?). Does this mean I can't travel on my reentry permit (?) any more, and will have problem reentereing next time with the note on my file (?).

The only way for me to get the passport is to go back to Ukraine on a one-way letter. And this is the last thing I am willing to do, i.e. there is no way I am going back to that country.

If anyone has had similar experiences or suggestions please advice. I was thinking to call INS but I probably wont get to talk to a person who can clarify this for me.... Thanks everyone.
Click to expand...
 
U have to get a travel document. It might take a while though. U dont have to have a national passport. The travel document is an officcial replacement of your national passport for travel purposes.
 
thanks for your replies.

thankful,
To file a complaint, what will that accomplish?

ayyubov,
Are you saying that I should get a travel document because you think I can no longer use my reentry permit now after what happened? It still has about 7 months validity in it and I would like to use it some more. Also, I would rather get a reentry permit (valid 2 years) than a travel document (RTD).


It's probably no big deal but I don't want to be worried for no reason on my next trip...
 
If they receive a deluge of complaints then they are more likely to provide better training to people.


NYCMan said:
thanks for your replies.

thankful,
To file a complaint, what will that accomplish?

ayyubov,
Are you saying that I should get a travel document because you think I can no longer use my reentry permit now after what happened? It still has about 7 months validity in it and I would like to use it some more. Also, I would rather get a reentry permit (valid 2 years) than a travel document (RTD).


It's probably no big deal but I don't want to be worried for no reason on my next trip...
Click to expand...
 
NYCMan said:
Glad to have found this forum, and hopeful to fiind answers.

A couple of days ago I was re-entrering the US with a greencard and reentry permit. The officer told me she wanted to see my national passport, and that reentry permit is not a passport. I am originally an asylee from Ukraine, and for those who know it's impossible to get a passport from their consulate. I told her I could not get the passport, and she said I have to go to consulate in Washington and to get one, and then she typed the note into my file, and told me she notated my file to that affect. What she wrote I am not sure though. I thought this would only make sense that I would not be willing to get a passport from the country of persecution, but the last thing I wanted to do was to argue with the INS officer.

I am concerned, as I don't know what she put into my file, but presume it is a note that next time I travel I must have the passport (?). Does this mean I can't travel on my reentry permit (?) any more, and will have problem reentereing next time with the note on my file (?).

The only way for me to get the passport is to go back to Ukraine on a one-way letter. And this is the last thing I am willing to do, i.e. there is no way I am going back to that country.

If anyone has had similar experiences or suggestions please advice. I was thinking to call INS but I probably wont get to talk to a person who can clarify this for me.... Thanks everyone.
Click to expand...
God damn incompetent officers!!!!!
 
NYCMan said:
thanks for your replies.

thankful,
To file a complaint, what will that accomplish?

ayyubov,
Are you saying that I should get a travel document because you think I can no longer use my reentry permit now after what happened? It still has about 7 months validity in it and I would like to use it some more. Also, I would rather get a reentry permit (valid 2 years) than a travel document (RTD).


It's probably no big deal but I don't want to be worried for no reason on my next trip...
Click to expand...


I'm just saying that in that case there will be no worries.
 
Whatever the Immigration officer at the Port of entry says..Just ignore it ok? Just be nice to them and smile and don't show an attitude and thats it! whatever they say, in your head it should be like "blah blah blah blah blah..welcome back home..blah"...

I travel every 2 months with an RTD..and once i came back with the green passport and i went to the officer and he goes "sorry sir this is only for U.s Passport or U.S issued documents." .....I go This is a travel document..He had no clue what it was ...b4 he said all that..he was like "Foreign passport line is on the other counter"...anyways he processed it after asking this other guy.

I have heard from "why dont you have your green card.." To "You sure this will let you back in the country.." To "Do you have an extension for your stay"...to You and your momma....ok thats a joke..
 
NYCman there seems to be a bit of confusion here.

You need to get a Travel Document. You cannot use the re-entry permit. You use the same application to apply for both.

Travel Document - Used in lieu of your national passport for travelling. Works the same as passport.

Reentry Permit - Used when you plan to leave the country for a period longer than 1 yr . If you plan to be outside the US for a long period of time, then you need the reentry permit to show that you have not abandoned permanent residence in the US.

You cannot travel outside the country on a re-entry permit. The Refugee Travel Docuemnt is required.
 
mwalam,
I tend to disagree with you,
yes, re-entry permit is used if you are travelling out if the US for over a year. but it also serve as a Passport. and people use it all the time.
see this from USCIS website:
What is a Travel Document and Who Needs One?
If you are not a U.S. citizen, you may need permission to return to the United States after traveling abroad. This permission is granted through a travel document. Travel documents are also given to people who want to travel, but cannot get a passport from their country of nationality. See the below listed items for more information:

http://uscis.gov/graphics/howdoi/travdoc.htm
 
siddig said:
mwalam,
I tend to disagree with you,
yes, re-entry permit is used if you are travelling out if the US for over a year. but it also serve as a Passport. and people use it all the time.
see this from USCIS website:
What is a Travel Document and Who Needs One?
If you are not a U.S. citizen, you may need permission to return to the United States after traveling abroad. This permission is granted through a travel document. Travel documents are also given to people who want to travel, but cannot get a passport from their country of nationality. See the below listed items for more information:

http://uscis.gov/graphics/howdoi/travdoc.htm
Click to expand...

Does it apply to asylees/refugees as well?And what is the difference between RTD and re-entry permit?
 
Once you are a permanent resident you can get either RTD (valid 1 year), or reentry permit (valid 2 years). No point in getting RTD in my view.

Contrary to what mwalam had said, I have traveled a lot on my reentry permit last year and was never asked for my national passport. Most immigration officers tend to be knowledable on the subject and friendly overall.

There is now an entry in my file, what does this mean for me? Will I be asked to clarify this every time I reenter :confused: Could anyone suggest a way of going about this - should I contact somebody from the INS to have this looked at and maybe ammend my file with another note :confused: Or leave it alone :confused: Thanks.
 
well, why don't you consult with a good attorney? You would pay a small consultation fee. We really are all guessing here. My guess would be that you should complain about it, since that serves as some legal evidence should you ever have problems.
And, I would still get RTD. That is actually the idea: you have to understand that you need a travel document or a passport to travel. It is an internationally recognized document, not a peace of paper allowing you to re-enter the US.
Good luck!
 
EspressoJoy, you are probably right about the attorney, that's what I'll do for the piece of mind, though I am sure I am overreacting.

As fas as RTD, they are only good for 1 trip: takes 5-6 or more months to get (so need to apply well ahead of time of the trip), and then most countries require 6 months validity, so you probabaly only have a few months before you apply for a new one again.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
 
i don't know if any officer at the port of entry can write anything to your file that easily, otherwise it would be very dangrous ground for personal favors and vandetta for that matter??
as for TD, it serves well as RTD, and many countries give thier permanent residents this kind of document to use for travel. and also you can get visa stamps from many countries on either one (TD or RTD)?
 
She said she made a note into my file and I did see her type. She probabaly just tells everyone to get their passports, and I should have made it clear that I was an asylee before (instead I probably assumed that she knew... Oh well).
 
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