Quick Help Getting Back to USA from Canada

S

SpanishGirl

Registered Users (C)
Hi Everyone,

You have all helped me through my journey on here to obtain my two year green card and I am very thankful, but now I need help again. My husband and I live in West Palm Beach but we go to Canada every 3 months to visit my family. This time I went alone for one week as he started a new job. My two year green card expired 3 months ago but I was given a letter stating they would review all additional information to obtain my ten year green card... and if I wanted to travel I would need to bring the one year extension letter with me at all times when leaving the country. I left for Canada last Sunday and can't find the letter. Will I get back into the USA? Sunday, April 1st I have my return ticket for West Palm Beach... this gives me 3 days to figure something out. My husband and I have called every #: USCIS, American Consulate in my city, Customs at the airport and can't seem to find the answer.

Also, my Canadian passport was going to expire in 60 days, so I went and renewed it today- they took my passport and the new one will arrive in West Palm Beach anywhere from 3-8 weeks.

I am left with an expired green card and no passport. What do I do???? THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP.
 
Assuming you're going to fly back into the US by leaving an airport that does US immigration clearance in Canada, and your I-751 was filed and has not been denied, you can return to the US if you plead your case and allow extra time for them to do the necessary verification.

With the green card they should be able to look up your records and see that you have a pending I-751. However, the expired green card combined with the lack of a passport will make it difficult to convince them to let you enter the US. You should try to get back your existing passport or see if you can pay a fee to get the new passport expedited.

I see you got an RFE last month. I hope you responded to it by the deadline they gave (or the deadline hasn't arrived yet), because failing to respond to an RFE could result in denial of the I-751, which would cause you to be stuck outside the US until the denial is overturned.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Jackolantern said:
Assuming you're going to fly back into the US by leaving an airport that does US immigration clearance in Canada, and your I-751 was filed and has not been denied, you can return to the US if you plead your case and allow extra time for them to do the necessary verification.

With the green card they should be able to look up your records and see that you have a pending I-751. However, the expired green card combined with the lack of a passport will make it difficult to convince them to let you enter the US. You should try to get back your existing passport or see if you can pay a fee to get the new passport expedited.
Click to expand...

Thank you... I appreciate it. I am going to the office tomorrow to see if I can get my passport back- but if not, I'll just have to pray that they let me through. My father is a police officer at the airport and he just spoke to the customs supervisors and they said it's not a problem to not have the paper, but I need my passport... thank you for your reply.
 
Good luck, and get to the airport extra early because they may decide to take you aside for extra questioning. If you have another ID that US officials are familiar with, like a US driver's license or state ID, that would help with convincing them that you are who you say you are and not somebody who happened to find somebody's discarded expired card or steal it.
 
At the entry to US they'll be able to verify your status, however what about airline company? They also would want to see an extension letter before boarding.
Maybe there is a way to find US consulate in Canada which would issue a temporary GC stamp in your passport?
 
kostyan said:
At the entry to US they'll be able to verify your status, however what about airline company? They also would want to see an extension letter before boarding.
Click to expand...

A valid Canadian passport is normally enough to convince the airline staff to allow boarding a flight to the US. So if the OP can get back the existing passport or have the new one expedited that solves the problem as far as the airline is concerned.
 
Solution...

Thanks for all of your help. My father is a police officer at the airport in my city and spoke to the supervisor of customs which said I NEED a passport no matter what since my green card expired and I don't have that letter. Today I went back to the office to try and get my passport back, but it had been sent out yesterday at 4pm ($87 lost). So I spent 8 hours taking the passport photos again, notary, witness, paperwork, $250, references etc... and Passport Canada thinks they will be able to put a stop to my other passport. I have filled it out as a lost passport and they think they can get me a new passport by tomorrow at 330pm...no promises though. WHAT A HEADACHE!!! They have already called and interviewed my two references, will do a background check etc. Praying for results tomorrow.

Again- thanks for your help and I hope this post can be of some help to others with a similar situation!
 
kostyan said:
At the entry to US they'll be able to verify your status, however what about airline company? They also would want to see an extension letter before boarding.
Maybe there is a way to find US consulate in Canada which would issue a temporary GC stamp in your passport?
Click to expand...

My dad spoke to customs and they said an airline can be charged up to $10,000 if they don't ask to see my passport when I get onto the plane (come to think of it I have ALWAYS shown my passport when entering an international plane)... so for this I need the passport as well- your right!
 
Why should the airline care? If you're flying in from a major Canadian airport you clear US customs and immigration prior to boarding the plane.
 
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