Sucks !! Sucks !! Sucks !!

[Bindaas]

I and my family have already planned and bought the tickets for India trip based on 551 stamp on our passport, obtained UK transit visa from NY and now hearing that I may have to cancel my plan and loose $6K worth of ticket and vacation leave.
THIS REALLY SUCKS. DAMN!!!!!!!! USCIS. DAMN!!!!
According to USCIS, we will have to wait for 12-18 months to receive the card.




MURTHY.com says the following.....

NewsFlash! Travel Possibly Limited for I-551 Stamp Holders
Posted Oct 15, 2004

Our attorneys attending the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) National Conference in Chicago have just called us on October 15, 2004, to report that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intends to phase out the temporary I-551 stamps as early as October 26, 2004. The I-551 stamps are temporary evidence of lawful permanent resident status. They are issued for use as proof of this status before the actual plastic green card arrives after the application for permanent residence has been approved. The stamps are valid for work and travel and function as a green card until the physical card can be produced and mailed to the recipient.

Few details on this matter have been released. At this time it is not clear whether a person who tries to reenter on an I-551 stamp after the stamps are phased out will encounter difficulties in returning. There are many people who regularly travel in and out of the country using the I-551 stamps. It is also unclear what mechanism will document permanent resident status prior to receipt of the actual, physical green card. We at The Law Office of Sheela Murthy, P.C. will continue to provide more information on this important topic for our MurthyDotCom visitors as and when it becomes available.

 

[pralay]

She is only thinking out loud. It is nothing for you too worry about. There would be thousands upon thousands of people who would not be able to get back into the country if POE did not recognize the i551 stamp.

I hope they will recognize I-551 and USCIS is pretty sure that they can produce plastic cards fast enough (like EAD cards). I think are just trying to reduce an additional steps - going to district office for stamping. That's a good sign.

 

[pralay]

Also, there has been items in the news of how people were using counterfit stamps.

Hmmm. People are counterfeiting a stamp that itself looks like a counterfeit (the original itself)!!!! I thought stamps is useless at POE because all that matters is A#. POE officer gets all the info from his/her computer (not passport stamp). However, this stamp enables one to board on a flight from the origin country and that is important. Stamping gone means people have to wait for plastic card before traveling.

 

[AmericanWannabe]

It is not clear yet what the effects of this plan will be. I think this isn't really thought through at CIS yet, but then, do they think anything through???
If they don't allow people to return just with the stamp, I see a class-action lawsuit coming up...

Can victims file a lawsuit from outside USA?

 

[pralay]

Can victims file a lawsuit from outside USA?

Not, if you are from Eastern countries -where the "main principle of Western society" don't exist.

 

[GCLookup]

Can victims file a lawsuit from outside USA?

Never ever think about it. Class Action suite is huge legal battle and nobody will do it for Not allowed to enter into US. Rather sensible mind will contact American embassy in his home country and try to get reentry permit based on his approval of GC.
If you ever go by some "Out of Mind" suggestions, you will end up in screwing urself nicely at the end of many wasted years OR you will be end up on immigration forums with trillions posts.

 

[Bindaas]

Sure. You should have a lawyer to represent you in court, anyway. And that lawyer of course has to be allowed to practice law in the US. So, any immigration lawyer qualifies...
Oh, and ignore trolls like pralay who try again to pick a fight with me...

But one do not want to fight in court than cancel the trip and wait for the card for travel again, yes one looses lots of money and vacation that is planned already but still worth it than fighting case from outside.
In My case, yes I am panic now, I don't know what to do, I still have 10 days to travel, I am sure I will not get refund for my tickets. But I will still cancel my vacation(IF I REALLY THINK COMING BACK WILL BE A PROBLEM) than fighting from outside.

 

[pralay]

In My case, yes I am panic now, I don't know what to do, I still have 10 days to travel, I am sure I will not get refund for my tickets. But I will still cancel my vacation(IF I REALLY THINK COMING BACK WILL BE A PROBLEM) than fighting from outside.

One internet "news flash" (not even a USCIS notice) can generate so much panic. This forum is just for discussion, and I don't think you will be able to conclude anything by reading this forum before your departure. You better discuss with your attorney and make decision.
I am sure other law firms know this information and not publishing it because they don't want to cause this kind of palic situation. It seems this news flash became like today's news competions - who can out the news first.

 

[stonewall]

But one do not want to fight in court than cancel the trip and wait for the card for travel again, yes one looses lots of money and vacation that is planned already but still worth it than fighting case from outside.
In My case, yes I am panic now, I don't know what to do, I still have 10 days to travel, I am sure I will not get refund for my tickets. But I will still cancel my vacation(IF I REALLY THINK COMING BACK WILL BE A PROBLEM) than fighting from outside.

This is just somebody's unofficial statement - a comment by a lawyer. As long as you do not see USCIS' official announcement you can travel with your stamp - it is unlikely they will forbid re-entry to people with 551 stamps - they may stop stamping the passports of people who get I-485 approvals after October 26th - but that is another matter.

 

[GCLookup]

It is not possible to apply for a reentry permit while abroad.
Even if you apply for one in the US, it takes several months before it is issued.

So you suggest to file Class Action Suite . You don't get it .
In such case, you should contact American embassy and explain your situation, I am sure they will find some way out of it. Afterall those embassy people are human too, sincere discussion with them will definately come out with some solution. "Western Laws" are to help people to govern systematically, not to trouble people in every step of life
Filing class Action suite for such thing is nothing more than BIG JOKE and if somebody takes it seriouly, he surely digging deep hole for himself

 

[litmu]

It is not possible to apply for a reentry permit while abroad.
Even if you apply for one in the US, it takes several months before it is issued.

Isn't there some counseller processing available, that is equivalent to the re-entry permit

JoeF, ... this is imp... tell us some way, to expedite our naturalization (offcourse we already know, marriage and regular armed forces duty). There has to be some other way ... Lets see if you know this.

thanks.

 

[pralay]

I have heard this from several sources.

For example?

Apparently, CIS has indicated that in a meeting with AILA, so all lawyers who are AILA members (and all good immigration attorneys are) know about it.

That's the point. Unlike, murthy.com, none of them are posting this information until some hard-fact, concrete idea comes out from USCIS.

 

[pralay]

Several people in Internet newsgroups...
E.g, http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=....com&prev=/groups?hl=en&lr=&group=alt.visa.us
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=...ps?hl=en&lr=&group=alt.visa.us.marriage-based

When you mentioned "several sources", I thought you are talking about some lawyers website (just like murthy.com) or reliable site like AILA website. Apparently people in those the mailing lists you referred are pointing to murthy.com. So it seems there is only ONE reliable source now - and that is murthy.com

 

[pralay]

I see you didn't bother to actually read the posts...
Not that I'm surprised with somebody who tries to fight with me.
From the first post in one of the threads. I put it bold for you to read (since you apparently have problems doing that...):.

I don't have any problem to find it, prejudiced oldie. I am not finghting with you, but trying to understand the reliability of your posting. There is no reason to get angry if you don't have that. Follow your own link and check what you intented to convey.

Secondly, mailing list is different from some annoucement or "news flash" of a immigration site. I hope you understand the difference.

 

[pralay]

I don't post things if I don't know anything about it. As I said, I have heard this from several sources, so I consider it reliable.
And you can't deny that you and zyu and GCLookup recently have tried to fight with me (not in this thread, but in others), and I am quite frankly sick of people with an ego-problem trying to fight with me when it is their problem if they don't understand how the US society works.
How come it is always the same couple of guys who can't stand being corrected when they are wrong??? Geez!

I am talking behalf of zyu or GClookup, but all I am saying that I am not fighting with you. It's you who cannot stand being corrected and do all the nitpicking in this forum and hence divert the discussion from the initial topic to totally different direction. It seems you are already a sick person and then blaming others for making you sick.

 

[djh]

Well this is all highly entertaining!

 

[pralay]

And I have shown that I have no problem being corrected (see, e.g., http://boards.immigrationportal.com/showthread.php?t=147177)

I appreciate that and that's encouraging. Hope you could show more out of your 5,797 posting.

"If you have to keep mentioning and reminding people how honest you are, you are not". (Rousseau)

You guys are the ones who are just fighting me on principle, and that's failing.

Reminds me all the politican's talks.

I can only speculate about your reasons, but the only ones that come to mind are that I have shown you guys to be wrong, and you seem to be the ones who's egos can not stand being wrong.

You don't need to speculate. Only being objective helps to prove the point. But it seems it cannot control your emotion, like you failed in this topic.

 

[Al_aos]

All this discussion for what.
If the Uscis did actually do away with the stamp, I am sure people who have the stamp and are out of the country will be allowed to reenter without any problem or will be issued certain travel doc in the home country embassy or consulate as it is not the stamp that is the only proof. the USCis has complete record of you in thier computers and database and can be accessed from any airport.
Also if the action actually takes place , the USCIS website and other information will indicate so boldly announcing the action .
So till the time this happens, we can all sit pretty , that is people with stamps .which doesnt include me as I dont have a stamp yet

 

[Al_aos]

I think it would be safe to assume that the already stamped passports would be valid till their validity and those stamps will be treated as Green cards so to speak.
Yes they might just do away with the stamps ( which is a good thing) as I dont want to drive down again to the local office and wait again.
A approval letter , record in the computers and their database should be enuff till you recieve your GC.

 

[pralay]

Yes they might just do away with the stamps ( which is a good thing) as I dont want to drive down again to the local office and wait again.

Yes, that's better to phase out stamping, provided they are fast enough to produce plastic cards. They have to merge (logically) approval date with "card mailing date". Basically until someone receives card, AP/H/L valid should be acceptable for re-entry (as if the person did not get approval yet).

A approval letter , record in the computers and their database should be enuff till you recieve your GC.

For traveling it's not enough because airlines won't allow you to board on their flights from origin country if you don't have admission document - visa, AP or temporary Gc stamp.