Re-entry Permit Questions

jinglebell1974

New Member
Hi,

I and my family (me, my wife and my daughter) are GC holders and we applied for our re-entry permit (all at once) in May 2021 and we got a notice from USCIS saying that we don't need to go through the biometrics as they can re-use our biometrics that was done during our Adjustment of Status interview. We moved back to India in July 2021. After few weeks, we received the re-entry permit approval notice for my daughter with the expiration date of May 2023. In April 2022, we received the re-entry permit approval notices for me and my wife with the expiration date of April 2024. My daughter is currently doing her 10th standard in India and she is interested in doing her
college in USA. My questions are below.

1) When should I apply for the new re-entry permit for my daughter? Since her re-entry permit has an expiration date of May 2023, I assume we need to apply at least 3 to 4 months in advance from India and when we receive her biometrics appointment notice, we need to travel and get her biometrics done. Can someone confirm?

2) When we apply for the re-entry permit for my daughter, can I apply for me and my wife as well at the same time though our re-entry permits are valid until April 2024?

3) In general, people are saying that the re-entry permits are valid only for two years. We moved back to India in July 2021 and my and my wife's re-entry permits have an expiration date of April 2024, which is a 3 year long period. Assuming that I and my wife will apply for our re-entry permits in Jan 2024, will there be any issues if we travel to USA for our biometrics in April 2024?

4) When I applied for the re-entry permits for the first time, I did all the work and overall it was a smooth process. For the renewal, is it better to go through an immigration attorney or can I do on my own?

5) Anything else do I need to take care in order to retain my GC?


Thanks in advance.
 
1. You cannot apply for your daughter’s new re-entry permit from India. She will need to be in the US in order to apply for it. And I believe you can apply from about 60 days before expiration.
2. See 1 above in terms of how soon you can apply for yours.
3. You can only apply for the re-entry permit from within the US. USCIS determines when to go for the biometrics appointment following a properly filed application.
4. If you successfully did the first one yourself, why do you think you may need a lawyer for a new one?
5. Be sure to file your taxes each year you’re outside the US.
 
As noted above, you need to be physically present in the US to file the re-entry permits, not just for biometrics.

FYI: The permits are valid for 2 years from date of issuance (not from the date you leave) - which is why you got more than two years ”out” the US.

When are you actually planning to make the final move to the US?
 
Thanks for your responses. I will plan to visit US to apply for re-entry permit when it is due for my daughter.
It’s not clear from your statement - but it’s your daughter who needs to be present in the US as it is her permit being applied for.
 
Thanks for your responses. I will plan to visit US to apply for re-entry permit when it is due for my daughter.
Your daughter needs to be in the US in order to apply for a new RET. You cannot apply on her behalf while she remains in India, you’ll both need to be in the US if she’s unable to apply for it on her own.
 
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