Can my husband travel if his green card expired? It expired in December. We sent in to renew it last September. I thought it was supposed to take 6-9 months to get the new green card....does anyone know how long it takes? We bought are tickets already for the end of July and i just need to make sure we can travel. INS has given me different answers about what we need. They also said my husband can get a stamp in his passport if we travel to the nearest site. Does anyone have any idea about any of this? I want to make sure everything is ready because they already give us a hard time with a green card.
Thanks!
2007-03-12 21:53:17 · 5 answers · asked by nikki k 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Immigration
The "green card" is evidence of your immigrant status. Even without the card, you are still a permanent resident. This is analogous to using a passport to prove your citizenship. Just because your passport is expired doesn't mean you lose your citizenship.
The short answer is yes, you can travel even if your green card has expired-- so long as you have not done anything which terminated your status.
Not having evidence of status can create a problem at the border when you try to re-enter the United States (once again look at the passport analogy). However, they should eventually sort it out. The best thing to do however, to avoid the hassle is to get temporary evidence of legal status. Many USCIS local offices will stamp passports with a temporary I-551 (official name of the green card). You will have to make an Infopass appointment (www.infopass.uscis.gov) and bring evidence that you have filed for a renewal. Also bring your passport for stamping and let them know the reason for travel.
2007-03-13 05:39:35 · answer #1 · answered by Pickles 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
He had better wait til a new one comes in. If he is not traveling till July , you should maybe receive it by then . Open a account on the USCIS website and receive case status updates . At least you will get an idea of where you are at . Also maybe try making a info pass appointment . Sometimes this helps. It helped me get my green card quicker . Otherwise it was just sitting on my case managers desk. You will need to have a good story though to get past the first line of defense , which are the people at immigration that will tell you that you need to wait enough time . Dont take No for an answer and somehow get to the desk of your case manager./ Also the processing times are available at the USCIS website for your local office , they usually are pretty accurate.
2007-03-13 07:55:39 · answer #2 · answered by prole1984 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
you can travel only if he gets a stamp on his passport,
i don`t advice you to leave the country with an expired green card and no stamp, it doesn`t seem right.
call INS and ask how you can get the stamp.
i think he should have got it when he visited them to apply for the renwal.
Any way don`t worry you`ll probably get the new one before you travel.
Good luck
2007-03-14 07:27:00 · answer #3 · answered by Gery 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I wouldnt travel out of the country if his card is expired,he will most likely be detained and possibly deported if the new one hasnt been issued
2007-03-13 04:57:28 · answer #4 · answered by JOHN D 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You will be fine as long as you have passport ....have a good trip
2007-03-13 05:02:10 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 6⤋