Renewing TN by mail, with travel plans?

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nutrient2

Registered Users (C)
My current (and first) TN expires March 7, 2008. I would like to renew this by mail, but I see that the current processing times for the TNs are about 5 months (according to this).

I plan on going back to Canada Dec 11-18. I also have a Caribbean cruise planned for March 30-April 6.

I am considering submitting the renewal by mail ASAP. I understand I can get an extension if it is not approved by the expiry (March 7). But I have concerns about what will happen if it is not approved by the time I will be leaving the country on the cruise. I am somewhat nervous of applying at the border (I had problems with my first TN - I had all of the required information but not all of it was actually in the letter from my employer -I got held at customs but the officer took pity on me and let me pass through. I missed my flight and I had to buy another ticket - it was a mess!)

So is my best course of action to apply for renewal by mail now and hope for the best - and take my documents on the cruise for application at POE if it is not approved by then? Or would it be better to try to apply early on my way back from Canada (Dec 18)?

Thanks in advance for any insight :)
 
I understand I can get an extension if it is not approved by the expiry (March 7).
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Not quite. What you get is 'grace period' where your status is extended, but only while in the country.

Once you leave US and try to return after your currentTN expires, you will have to make a POE TN request, brand new, with all documentation, just like you did for the first one.

You will not be granted a new POE TN in December. No POE will grant one much before one month of expiry, some even less than that.

Since you aren't leaveg US in February, I would be submitting my renewal now (it will take less than 5 months -- things have slowed due to July/August I-485 swamp). If you don't get it by your cruise, then bring a full-fledged TN application.

Your other choices are to go out of US in late feb and get the border TN done then. Or pay the $1000 premium to get the TN done in 3 weeks.
 
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