Reentry permit Renewal I-131

N

Nincompoop

New Member
This seems like an obvious question but I couldn't find a satisfactory answer. My son studies overseas. He has a reentry permit that expires in January and school starts again in September. I know he needs a new I-131 and has to be in the US to apply. Why? The first step is to mail in the form and reentry permit. How would they know if he, or someone else, mails it in? More importantly, he then has to wait for up to two months before doing the biometrics. If he leaves the US to start school and then tries to return to do the biometrics can he get in, now that he's surrendered the permit? If he can then perhaps he can go and apply before school starts and return during Christmas break for the biometrics. Then he can go back to school to wait for the new permit.

Do people normally just stay in the US while waiting?

Please help.

Thank you so much.
 
It’s really easy for USCIS to check his dates of entry and exit to determine if he was in the country when it was filed.
Most people stay for biometrics because of the cost issue of flying back and forth but I have seen people who have filed, left, then flown back for the biometrics then left again.
 
Thank you. Yes, I realize that they can check his passport for arrival (although they don't stamp departure dates in passports.) and there may well be a database accessible to them, with that information. And, sure, people will stay to avoid the two-trip expense. But how, exactly, do those who don't stay do it?

Can he get back in without a reentry permit? If he flies in to mail the application can he just go back the second time for the biometrics on his green card or will they say he's been out two years. They could know that, too. Or does the one year clock start over? That's the more important question.

I did see some law office recommend not sending the still-good-but-soon-to-expire reentry permit with the application. I just wonder if that works.
 
Nincompoop said:
Thank you. Yes, I realize that they can check his passport for arrival (although they don't stamp departure dates in passports.) and there may well be a database accessible to them, with that information. And, sure, people will stay to avoid the two-trip expense. But how, exactly, do those who don't stay do it?

Can he get back in without a reentry permit? If he flies in to mail the application can he just go back the second time for the biometrics on his green card or will they say he's been out two years. They could know that, too. Or does the one year clock start over? That's the more important question.

I did see some law office recommend not sending the still-good-but-soon-to-expire reentry permit with the application. I just wonder if that works.
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It’s all online, you can look it up yourself with his passport number. Google I94 online. Will they check it? I don’t know. Is the hassle of doing it and trying to game the system worth him potentially losing his green card? That’s a question for you and him to decide.

Any time out is counted from last exit so if he is back to file then comes back again no he won’t need a reentry permit as he will only have been gone a few weeks. Of course his travel history will come up on the CBP computer and they may well question him on his absences. Another reason I guess why people prefer to stay till the biometrics.

It doesn’t seem all that common to renew reentry permits so I have no idea what “normal” is. For sure, anything to do with a green card once you become an LPR is not very easy for people not actually physically present in the US (though I presume that’s partly intentional, given that residency requirements in the US are relatively strict. Requiring one to be physically present for the application is one way to help ensure people are serious about it as you’d probably get many “just in case” but not really serious applications if you could just do everything online and/or from your local consulate).
 
Again, thank you. That's what I needed to know. I wish he could just stay in the US and wait. Since that interferes with his school he can't. So it's good to know he can get back in. That's a big help!
 
You can request the application be expedited. It's entirely possible he will get the biometrics appointment in a couple of weeks if he mails the application and permit the day he lands on US soil. If studying is given as a reason, it should work (at least it did for me when I was a student abroad about 10 years ago...).

He can also leave and return for biometrics within six months, but yes, there is a the flight cost.

Finally, the permit can be sent abroad to a US mission so that's an easy one.
 
Thanks. Yes I remember we requested expedite on his current one. I guess we'll try that and if they can't get it in time then we'll have to go back. I don't suppose there is any way to tell which centers have the shortest wait time .

I assume if he just went back in intervals of less than a year to restart the clock they might not like that.


We requested the last one be sent to the embassy but they didn't. They just sent it to the "in care of" address. I'm sure it will be different this time.
 
Thanks. That's what I thought I remembered from the last time. And I checked it took 5 weeks to do an expedited biometrics exam. So he'll do two trips.
 
Do they still process them in Nebraska? Try faxing a cover letter to the fax number I indicated in this thread: https://forums.immigration.com/threads/expedited-rtd-question.289414/. The last time I needed this was in 2008 I think so it HAS been ten years but the following threads also indicate this number was active as of 2011 and 2012, they they were used then for other reasons:

http://ambals.blogspot.com/2012/05/advance-parole-emegency-expediting.html
https://sites.google.com/site/yufangsun1/Home/optexpediteapproved

Try to write about why he has to go abroad to study in particular (maybe necessary for his degree, or you couldn't afford it here, etc.), and how he wants to use his education to benefit the US, and other crap like that :)
 
Hello everyone,
Anyone on here renewed their I131 overseas. I started all my paperwork with the USCIS Rome office because they have jurisdiction over Spain but they needed my old RTD so I flew back to the US and send back the document to them and am still waiting. I need to travel as soon as possible due to my mom's health.
Any insight is welcome
Thanks
 
Hello
If it ever helps someone I started to process for my travel document while in Spain, I went to the US embassy and got my prints and paid for the fees. I mailed the document in Rome and within a month they approved my case, they wanted to send it to me in Spain but I was back in the US already so they emailed the Nebraska center to issue the document. So it is possible to apply outside of the US as long you can prove reasons why you are doing it outside.
 
cafeconleche said:
That's very interesting. Can you share with us what reason you gave CIS for applying abroad?
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Hello,
I was overseas taking care of my mom and my travel document was about to expire so I called the USCIS Rome office that has juridiction over Spain. They told me I could apply but I needed to pass by the US embassy for the fingerprints and pay for fess which I did and receive everything in a sealed envelope and with that, I attached all my mom's translated doctors letter and also my birth certificate to prove the relationship that I later sent to them. The USCIS Rome office also asked for my nonexpired RTD but I decided to come back to the US before sending it back which I did and 10 days after I attached my return ticket and an expedited letter. Days after they receive the expedited letter and flight ticket they emailed me an approval decision and I could have picked up the RTD at the US embassy in Spain but because I was back in the US they send an approval letter to Nebraska to issue the document. I believe they can issue the document if there is proof of humanitarian reason at their own discretion.
 
Mary B said:
Hello,
I was overseas taking care of my mom and my travel document was about to expire so I called the USCIS Rome office that has juridiction over Spain. They told me I could apply but I needed to pass by the US embassy for the fingerprints and pay for fess which I did and receive everything in a sealed envelope and with that, I attached all my mom's translated doctors letter and also my birth certificate to prove the relationship that I later sent to them. The USCIS Rome office also asked for my nonexpired RTD but I decided to come back to the US before sending it back which I did and 10 days after I attached my return ticket and an expedited letter. Days after they receive the expedited letter and flight ticket they emailed me an approval decision and I could have picked up the RTD at the US embassy in Spain but because I was back in the US they send an approval letter to Nebraska to issue the document. I believe they can issue the document if there is proof of humanitarian reason at their own discretion.
Click to expand...
Hi Mary,
do you have Green card too?
 
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