Expired Green Card and Entry to the US
Dec 21st 2007, 10:19 am
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 53
Expired Green Card and Entry to the US
This is just an observation from Dulles Immigrations 20 Dec 07.
I was travelling from Kuwait to DC (home) and my conditional GC had expired, though I had the I797 extending it by a year - I751 process. The United check in desk in Kuwait was very wary of the expired GC and a letter (I797) that looked like anyone could produce on a computer.
After haggling for a while I told them that I could enter the US on the visa waiver program anyway (Australian citizen), which they were a lot happier with - if I have a GC I assume this is not actually true - but ....
However, to enter on the visa waiver program you need a return ticket. Luckily I had another flight ticketed from the US back to Kuwait 3 Jan - so they let me go. At the time I was doing this there was another lady on the same flight checking in also with a GC.
Get to DC and after Immigration I was sent for secondary processing and a polite INS officer asked for my I797, pulled it up on the screen and sent me on my way.
Next to me in secondary processing was the lady who had checked in at the same time as me. Her GC was expired and the Kuwait check in staff did not notice. She stated that she was unaware that it had expired. It appeared that that the INS staff at Dulles were going to issue her an I131 (fairly sure that what they said) and send her on her way.
I provide this as there has been some discussion about expired GC and travel in recent weeks.
I only discovered this site after I had my conditional GC - wish I found it earlier. It has been very helpful for both myself and my wife with Australian residency.
Have a great break over the holidays.
I was travelling from Kuwait to DC (home) and my conditional GC had expired, though I had the I797 extending it by a year - I751 process. The United check in desk in Kuwait was very wary of the expired GC and a letter (I797) that looked like anyone could produce on a computer.
After haggling for a while I told them that I could enter the US on the visa waiver program anyway (Australian citizen), which they were a lot happier with - if I have a GC I assume this is not actually true - but ....
However, to enter on the visa waiver program you need a return ticket. Luckily I had another flight ticketed from the US back to Kuwait 3 Jan - so they let me go. At the time I was doing this there was another lady on the same flight checking in also with a GC.
Get to DC and after Immigration I was sent for secondary processing and a polite INS officer asked for my I797, pulled it up on the screen and sent me on my way.
Next to me in secondary processing was the lady who had checked in at the same time as me. Her GC was expired and the Kuwait check in staff did not notice. She stated that she was unaware that it had expired. It appeared that that the INS staff at Dulles were going to issue her an I131 (fairly sure that what they said) and send her on her way.
I provide this as there has been some discussion about expired GC and travel in recent weeks.
I only discovered this site after I had my conditional GC - wish I found it earlier. It has been very helpful for both myself and my wife with Australian residency.
Have a great break over the holidays.
Dec 21st 2007, 7:10 pm
#2
Boxer's are the Best
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 125
Re: Expired Green Card and Entry to the US
This is just an observation from Dulles Immigrations 20 Dec 07.
I was travelling from Kuwait to DC (home) and my conditional GC had expired, though I had the I797 extending it by a year - I751 process. The United check in desk in Kuwait was very wary of the expired GC and a letter (I797) that looked like anyone could produce on a computer.
After haggling for a while I told them that I could enter the US on the visa waiver program anyway (Australian citizen), which they were a lot happier with - if I have a GC I assume this is not actually true - but ....
However, to enter on the visa waiver program you need a return ticket. Luckily I had another flight ticketed from the US back to Kuwait 3 Jan - so they let me go. At the time I was doing this there was another lady on the same flight checking in also with a GC.
Get to DC and after Immigration I was sent for secondary processing and a polite INS officer asked for my I797, pulled it up on the screen and sent me on my way.
Next to me in secondary processing was the lady who had checked in at the same time as me. Her GC was expired and the Kuwait check in staff did not notice. She stated that she was unaware that it had expired. It appeared that that the INS staff at Dulles were going to issue her an I131 (fairly sure that what they said) and send her on her way.
I provide this as there has been some discussion about expired GC and travel in recent weeks.
I only discovered this site after I had my conditional GC - wish I found it earlier. It has been very helpful for both myself and my wife with Australian residency.
Have a great break over the holidays.
I was travelling from Kuwait to DC (home) and my conditional GC had expired, though I had the I797 extending it by a year - I751 process. The United check in desk in Kuwait was very wary of the expired GC and a letter (I797) that looked like anyone could produce on a computer.
After haggling for a while I told them that I could enter the US on the visa waiver program anyway (Australian citizen), which they were a lot happier with - if I have a GC I assume this is not actually true - but ....
However, to enter on the visa waiver program you need a return ticket. Luckily I had another flight ticketed from the US back to Kuwait 3 Jan - so they let me go. At the time I was doing this there was another lady on the same flight checking in also with a GC.
Get to DC and after Immigration I was sent for secondary processing and a polite INS officer asked for my I797, pulled it up on the screen and sent me on my way.
Next to me in secondary processing was the lady who had checked in at the same time as me. Her GC was expired and the Kuwait check in staff did not notice. She stated that she was unaware that it had expired. It appeared that that the INS staff at Dulles were going to issue her an I131 (fairly sure that what they said) and send her on her way.
I provide this as there has been some discussion about expired GC and travel in recent weeks.
I only discovered this site after I had my conditional GC - wish I found it earlier. It has been very helpful for both myself and my wife with Australian residency.
Have a great break over the holidays.
My husband will be using his expired GC and the 751 letter in a couple of weeks. My husband has a Uruguayan passport and it is not part of the visa waiver program like Australia. I'll definitely keep you guys posted on what happens. Hopefully he won't have any issues with the airline.
Dec 21st 2007, 7:46 pm
#3
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Reno Nevada
Posts: 15,917
Re: Expired Green Card and Entry to the US
Thanks for the post!
My husband will be using his expired GC and the 751 letter in a couple of weeks. My husband has a Uruguayan passport and it is not part of the visa waiver program like Australia. I'll definitely keep you guys posted on what happens. Hopefully he won't have any issues with the airline.
My husband will be using his expired GC and the 751 letter in a couple of weeks. My husband has a Uruguayan passport and it is not part of the visa waiver program like Australia. I'll definitely keep you guys posted on what happens. Hopefully he won't have any issues with the airline.
Dec 22nd 2007, 8:47 am
#6
Account Closed
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 16,266
Re: Expired Green Card and Entry to the US
I still remember when the Portland Port Authority was successful in having Delta set it up its "hub" at PDX for an extensive trans-pacific route system. The former INS was so successful in killing it that for several years there were NO international flights into "DePortland."
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...5BC0A9669C8B63
"Just doing their job."
Dec 22nd 2007, 8:56 am
#7
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Reno Nevada
Posts: 15,917
Re: Expired Green Card and Entry to the US
Hi:
I still remember when the Portland Port Authority was successful in having Delta set it up its "hub" at PDX for an extensive trans-pacific route system. The former INS was so successful in killing it that for several years there were NO international flights into "DePortland."
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...5BC0A9669C8B63
"Just doing their job."
I still remember when the Portland Port Authority was successful in having Delta set it up its "hub" at PDX for an extensive trans-pacific route system. The former INS was so successful in killing it that for several years there were NO international flights into "DePortland."
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...5BC0A9669C8B63
"Just doing their job."
They can't get away with this can they!
Dec 22nd 2007, 3:45 pm
#10
Account Closed
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 16,266
Re: Expired Green Card and Entry to the US
That is precisely what happened. For a long time, Koreans vacationing in Hawaii would not fly round-trip Seoul-Honolulu-Seoul. The favored flights would be Seoul--Los Angeles/San Francisco--Seoul with the return leg being through Honolulu.
