Re-Entery Permit

C

cezass

Registered Users (C)
I used to live in the United States. Before I left there, I filled out Re-Enter Permit form (I-131). Now I live out of US for 1 year 9 months and I have my tavel document.

My question is : Do you think can I apply for another Re-Entery Permit so that I can be out of US for 2 more years.

PS : I already bought my plane ticket. I will be there in 3 days. However I will stay there just for 5 days. My other question is If I can appy again, do you think 5 days will be enough for appliying?
 
cezass said:
I used to live in the United States. Before I left there, I filled out Re-Enter Permit form (I-131). Now I live out of US for 1 year 9 months and I have my tavel document.

My question is : Do you think can I apply for another Re-Entery Permit so that I can be out of US for 2 more years.

PS : I already bought my plane ticket. I will be there in 3 days. However I will stay there just for 5 days. My other question is If I can appy again, do you think 5 days will be enough for appliying?
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The 5 days may be enough (hopefully all are business days) if you fill the form and prepare the check and be ready and immediately after you exit the customs from the nearest FedEx or any other carrier send it by same day or overnight delivery. The point is that the package should be marked by post office while you are in US or preferably received by USCIS while you are in here.
The other point is about the chance of the permit to be granted is very minimal to be approved for 2 years, if you are lucky, it will be granted for one year only. In most cases it will stuck in the pending status for months or years without decision. Apply and update the form with what will happen.
 
if you are lucky, it will be granted for one year only
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I am terribly sorry but I couldn't quite get that. What I know is, I have to be able to enter US once in every year even though I don't live there and don't apply for Re-Entry permit.

I am all confused now.
 
Let me ask you, what are your long term plans? Do you ever plan on coming back to the US? I'm not trying to be patronising, by the way. I just want to assess your options. When you come back, you can apply for a Reentry Permit, but someone has to collect the post for you and see when your fingerprinting will be. And then, you'll have to come back for that. It's a new requirement.
 
cezass said:
I am terribly sorry but I couldn't quite get that. What I know is, I have to be able to enter US once in every year even though I don't live there and don't apply for Re-Entry permit.

I am all confused now.
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It is the real ties to US (family, job......etc) which make the GC holder admissible to the US without permit for travels more than SIX MONTHS and less than one year. If this is frequent and a pattern (repeated absence for more OR EVEN LESS than six months but less than one year), the GC holder definitely will be banned from reentry. The chance for approval of second permit in a row, as I said in the above post, is very difficult to impossible unless there is a genuine reason, not just I have a job overseas and I paid the fees. Living in US to keep the GC is the rule, obtaining permit to stay overseas is the exception. If you stayed overseas for almost 2 years, returned back for 5 days, traveled back for another 11 months for example, the chance to be allowed in may be difficult without this one year permit.
 
cafeconleche said:
Let me ask you, what are your long term plans? Do you ever plan on coming back to the US? I'm not trying to be patronising, by the way. I just want to assess your options. When you come back, you can apply for a Reentry Permit, but someone has to collect the post for you and see when your fingerprinting will be. And then, you'll have to come back for that. It's a new requirement.
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I am planning to come back US right after I finished my university (hopefully). It seems I have two more years to graduate.

so what I understand from what you said, even though I have applied for reentry permit, I have to come back to the states so that fingerprinting process can be done.

:(

is there any easy way to hold the green card and use it when i needed?? :S or any other option I can try :( I feel bad now. because I will be there in a day but it seems I am coming back to us for nothing :/ I mean I wont be able to extend it.

I dont know what to do now.
 
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cezass said:
I am planning to come back US right after I finished my university (hopefully). It seems I have two more years to graduate.

so what I understand from what you said, even though I have applied for reentry permit, I have to come back to the states so that fingerprinting process can be done.

:(

is there any easy way to hold the green card and use it when i needed?? :S or any other option I can try :( I feel bad now. because I will be there in a day but it seems I am coming back to us for nothing :/ I mean I wont be able to extend it.

I dont know what to do now.
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You are not the only one who wants to stay overseas for good and keep GC valid.
It works like that:
1- To keep GC valid, you have to stay permanently in US and the travel is the exceptions.
2- If you want to travel for extended period (2 year maximum) you can apply for permit as you did exactly after that you have to come within those 2 years to stay in US to keep your status.
3- If after this long trip you come back for few days then travel again, you have to apply for another permit and get it approved (the chance is minimal but still possible)
4- You should apply for the second permit while you are in US, as you are going to do and stay or at least come back to do biometrics or before 6 months from your exit, whichever is shorter (because there is a high possibility for your second application to be stuck pending for more than 6 months)
5- This pattern of absence is very dangerous and may cost you to loose your status
 
It is not all that difficult to get a second reentry permit. Getting the third one is where the problem lies.

But you still need to be in the US when the application is filed, and again a few weeks later for fingerprinting.
 
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