eggysbrain

Hi all,

So I am getting ready to renew my Green card, which just expired. I probably wont actually be able to file the paperwork until January because my husband is off work at the moment on disability and I don't have the spare cash, but I wanted to ask you guys for your thoughts/advice in the meantime.

I usually travel to the UK to visit family at Easter and would like to do so again next year. Do I need to make an infopass appointment to get my passport stamped after I file for the renewal, or will the receipt USCIS sends me showing I have applied for renewal be good enough if my card hasn't arrived by then?

I'm also wondering this- can I travel before the biometrics appointment if I don't get an appointment scheduled for that before I plan to fly out (as long as I have a stamp/letter showing I have filed the I-90?) I usually book my flight at Christmas but I don't want to get any plans set in stone if there may be issues!

Thanks everyone for your help,

-Polly

Rete

Hi and welcome back, even if it is only for a short time.

No, unfortunately, you will not receive a letter extending your green card but the status remains only the card expires. You will be given a biometric appointment to attend where your fingerprint(s) and photo will be taken. At that time, if it is at a USCIS office, you might be able to get them to stamp your passport with an I-551. If not, then it is suggested that you make an infopass appointment and have it done there for traveling.

Some people have said recently that they would just travel with the receipt for the payment of the new card and a copy of their biometric appointment schedule. BTW biometrics should be within a month of filing. If this has worked for them, they've not, to my knowledge, come back and said it did or perhaps they have not traveled as yet.

eggysbrain

Hi Rete,

Thanks for the quick reply. I think I'll go get the i-551 stamp just to be on the safe side after I file the application to renew. I did read that the biometric appointments for renewal are usually quite fast but all the info I could find was a few years old and I wasn't sure how true that still was!

I hope to get back on the forums again. Have been busy finishing up my bachelors degree and working full time

Thanks again!

Rete

You're welcome.