S Folinsky

<sigh> I am retired and my bar license is now in inactive status. Nonetheless, there is one piece of advice I feel comfortable in giving - consult with an immigration attorney competent in naturalization issues. Really.

Chins

It was totally unplanned. I left for 2 weeks and it ended up being 9 months due to Covid. Border asked me how long I was away for and just let me through. I still had an apartment and car sat doing nothing.

Chins

I may do in the New Year. My wife would be happy if we had to move back to blighty

newacct

It doesn't make sense to wait "with over a full year back in country". You either interrupted continuous residence or you didn't. See USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 12, Part D, Chapter 3, for the rules surrounding continuous residence. An absence of between 6 months and 1 year is presumed to interrupt continuous residence, but this presumption can be overcome with strong evidence of ties. If you interrupted continuous residence, you have to wait until 4 years and 6 months (or 2 years and 6 months in your case if you are applying under the 3-year rule) after your return to apply for naturalization. If you didn't interrupt continuous residence, you are eligible to apply for naturalization now at any time. We don't know whether the officer will determine that you interrupted continuous residence or not, but in neither case does waiting a year help.

S Folinsky

By way of general comment, the Policy Manual is not “law.” (This can be a two way street, neither CIS or applicants can cite it as binding, or they shouldn’t). As in any situation, the law has to be applied to the facts. It helps when a lawyer has enough experience that CIS people respect that she knows what she is doing and will not BS them.

Chins

Thanks for the advice. Hopefully I have enough evidence that it was unplanned as at no point did I not have a permanent residence in the US, hadnt closed lines of credit, bank accounts, mobiles etc. But as suggested will look at professional advice when i do push the trigger. Hard bit will be finding someone I trust and doesn't rip me off.

Chins

As an update after over 2.5 years I had my removal of conditions interview today. Even the woman an USCIS was a little shocked how long it had taken. All done and dusted in under 10 mins. Few questions to the wife and myself - how did we meet, where have we travelled to, have we ever separated. Should have new GC in 2 weeks

Happy to be able to use a GC again for travel. It took an extra 20 mins at check in at LHR on Sunday and a visit from homeland to verify I was good to travel. Then a long line at Newark followed by another trip to secondary.

Now to decide on naturalization !!

Rete

Congratulations on clearing this final hurdle in the LPR saga. While 2.5 years seems long, not all that long ago that was about the 'average' timeline for the I-551. It was then, and is now, considered the least important step in the process since the applicant remains a US CPR until advised otherwise.

S Folinsky

I remain amused at your caption. You seem to be happy that you will have a physical green card in hand, but your caption is that said card is a PIA.

Rake care.

tht

I don’t know why you would put it there, but given it’s size and solid plastic material the GC I had back in 2011 was made of, it would indeed cause pain if you were to put it there…

Chins

I stick with my thread title For the past 14 months I have been travelling in and out of American on an I-551 stamp in my passport. It is a pain in the butt if youre a frequent traveller.

1. You cant check in online with BA and UA as your GC shows as expired.
2. On average it takes 10 mins at the airport to convince them you are a PR. This last time I had Homeland Security come to the desk to verify. Luckily i gave myself plenty of time. The stamp looks like any other entry stamp. Posted a pic of it earlier in this thread. Its nothing like the original visa page put in your passport by the Embassy in London with your picture etc.
3. When you enter the USA you are directed to go with all the visitors and then after that you have to go sit in secondary whilst they check the I-551 stamp in your passport for authenticity (even though they checked at LHR and I had a letter showing i had an interview at Newark USCIS three days later)

Luckily Covid has dramatically reduced my international travel.

So being able to use Global Entry and not the I551 stamp is great news. Time is money or in my case relaxing time

tht

My USC wife learned the hard way yesterday not having GE and (free Pre)…she always says it’s not worth getting because she does not travel enough… I was through security with the 2 mini tht’s, in less than 5 mins, she could only use the Premium line at EWR and took 20 mins extra…

S Folinsky

No problem. In four decades I dealt with many people who spoke English as a second language. Your postings were quite clear that NOT having an I-551 was a pain. Your postings were opposite of your caption, that’s all.

Take care.

Chins

No worries. I suffer from dyslexia so it not unknown for me to not make sense

newacct

I think the confusion is that when the OP said "I-551", they probably meant I-551 stamp. But it is not commonly known that a green card is an I-551 (and in fact, a green card is the more common and "regular" type of I-551). So the title should really be that the temporary types of I-551 are more of a pain in the butt than the regular type of I-551.