zarya

Well, he go his renewed. Mine is not renewed. Mine expired 2001 (as far as I know) I have not checked because my green card is at my moms place and she has it stored away somewhere. I actually did not know I had a green card until today. My father must of forgot that I had one.

meauxna

Green Cards did not always have expiration dates. Until pretty recently in fact.

Ray

Green Cards issued between 1979 and 1988 do not have expiration dates

Cards issued since 1989 have an expiration date on the front of the card that indicates a 10-year validity

zarya

I know, my card expired 2002. It seems my chance of reclaiming is very small. As many have said it is a grey area of the law.

The fact that I didn't know I had a green card until 2 days ago could also be used to my good.

ian-mstm

The card has expired. It is *not* clear whether your status has expired! The card and the status are not the same thing.

Ian

meauxna

Right, just the other day then!

zarya

I believe my residency has "expired" by the fact it was abandoned so to speak.
I have a small chance of filing for reclaim but if so it's still a minor chance.

I am probably looking at taking the train down to the consulate in 2 weeks to try to sort things out.

AdobePinon

You're not listening, are you? When your credit card expires, do you lose the account? When you walk away from the credit card account, does it disappear?

The consulate will NOT help you. It's not what they do. Talk to that lawyer. Right now, nobody knows your status. The only one who can help you work it out, is a lawyer. If you go down to the embassy and start talking the way you are, you will more than likely lose any chance of regaining that residency. Or perhaps you would just like to apply for the green card lottery for the next 2 decades in the hope of being able to return to the US? Your call....

fatbrit

You said you'd talked to "a magnificent man @ Bernard P. Wolfsdorf in LA" on another forum. Me thinks you are winding us up.

MsElui

hes been winding us up from the start - just read the thread!

zarya

Of course I've been winding up from the start what would you expect. I'm not a immigration lawyer. Now if you guys could listen to what I have to say.
My residency is probably not expired but my green card is, what I would be trying to do is reclaim my green card based on the fact that I never intended to loose it.

I have spoken to a immigration lawyer, and gone thru everything with him.
So far as I'm concerned I have two options.
1: Go to the United States and come into the country on my green card.
They will then take me in for a deeper inspection / investigation .. whatever.

And I would have to set up an appointment where I'd have to explain why I've been gone long etc. (From what my lawyer said to me this process could take up to 6 months or more! and of course meaning that I'd have to stay in the country the whole time). And probably a total of maybe 5000 dollars in fees and attorney payments.

2: Go down to the consulate in Norway and set up an appointment there.
Basically do the same thing as I would do as if I was in the US.
Now this is the cheaper and easier way, but unfortunately not the best way.


Anyhow, my story is the most important thing here, and it is as follows:
My father won the diversity lottery in 1991, we moved to California in 1991.
Left California and the US in 1997 or 1998 (I will have to check this to be sure!) My sisters are born in California but we did not apply for citizenship for the rest of us. When we left I was 9 or 10 years old, I did not have any possibility to stay. It was never my intent to give up my green card.

I did actually not know I had a green card until two days ago! My father has been telling me that I did not have a green card ( which I thought was very weird) but not being an expert on immigration I thought it was a normal thing). Upon further investigation I found out that my mother had my green card stored away. (Since she was the one that took care of those things).

I've also been attending school since I moved back from the US until now, and that is why I want my green card back.

My father will follow along to the consulate telling them he forgot that I had a green card (this is actually the truth! :P) and he will also bring a letter which tells the same.

I will then bring all documentation of me attending school in the US and all documentation of me being in the US. And as well documentation from Norway etc.

BritishGuy36

If ever there was a pretty sure way to get you back on a plane out of the US, showing up with nothing but an expired green card seems to be the way to go.....

zarya

Of course I would have to have other paperwork proving the fact that I was unable to get it renewed. I was told this by an attorney. He was the one that meant it could help.

farmerwife

You say you didn't know you had "a green card" until two days ago, but back in January post # 13 you did know you were a permanant resident, here legally.
Perhaps you are hoping USCIS/DHS/POE will take your lack of understanding of terminology into account?
Generally speaking, "ignorance of the law is no defence" applies.
Wonder how that would play out for you. Time and lots of $$$ will find out for you I guess.
As a small practical start, why don't you get a hold of all the pertinant paper work and the actual card from your parents.

Ray

Sounds like you need to apply for a Returning Resident Alien SB-1 visa

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigra...info_1333.html