Using the temp green card 'stamp'

[classy]

I came back from a short business trip a few days ago. I didn't get the plastic card before I left, so I shown the stamp page to the SFO custom officer. He didn't know how to process it, and had to ask a supervisor. He was told that I need to go through secondary inspection. The officer at the secondary inspection looked very rude. He checked my passport, and asked how long I had travelled, then stamped on my passport. On the stamp, he wrote 'LPR' and on the line of 'until___ ' he marked down '10 days'. I guess this means I was out of US for 10 days from this trip? As this is what I just told him. Otherwise, until 10 days would cause me worry.

My question: Does anyone here have similar experience? If one uses plastic card, normally does the officer stamp something on the passport and record the duration of the trip out of US? I am wondering how they count the days that a green card holder has been travelling out of US.

 

[cfiler]

I don't have an answer for you, but I was curious as to which like you went through the Citizens/Permanent Residents one or the other one.

 

[TheRealCanadian]

I guess this means I was out of US for 10 days from this trip? As this is what I just told him. Otherwise, until 10 days would cause me worry.

Yes, that's what it means. Don't worry, you haven't been admitted "permanently for 10 days".

Does anyone here have similar experience? If one uses plastic card, normally does the officer stamp something on the passport and record the duration of the trip out of US? I am wondering how they count the days that a green card holder has been travelling out of US.

I've always told people to assume that they'll require secondary inspection if travelling on the I-551 stamp without the card. It's just a formality to verify that everything is genuine. Not a lot of CBP officers see that, so it's not surprising that they would be confused - most immigrants are either arriving for the first time with an immigrant visa, or they have the plastic card. Lots of folks go through without the additional inspection, but you should not assume this and budget in some extra time if you have a connecting flight, etc. etc.

And yes, they do track the days you have been outside the US, but typically not through passport annotations - they generally do it via passenger manifests and shared data with the Canadians.

 

[classy]

Hi, Canadian:

Thanks a lot for the clarification! Actually the officer's advisor told me that in the future everytime I use the PP stamp I will be sent to secondary inspection, until I use the plastic card. Fortunately the card was mailed to me while I was travelling.

 

[classy]

I don't have an answer for you, but I was curious as to which like you went through the Citizens/Permanent Residents one or the other one.

Hi, I certainly went thru the 'citizen/permanent resident' line. Without question that after getting PP stamped we should start treating ourselves as PR, not visitors.