Lost Reentry Permit - Leaving for LAX this Saturday!!
May 8th 2003, 2:57 am
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Lost Reentry Permit - Leaving for LAX this Saturday!!
My mom got her green card back in 97. She left the USA in Jan 2002 (right after
submitting her Application for Travel Document I-131). She recived her Reentry
Permit in the mail late last year but can't find it now.
She is due to leave New Zealand for LAX this Saturday. Does she have to show
the actual Reentry Permit to the BCIS officer at LAX or can he look up his
database and see that she was approved for one already? What happens if she is
unable to provide the Reentry Permit? Will she be turned away at LAX? I faxed
her a copy of the completed I-131 form which we submitted last year to the INS
- will that help her in proving her case?
Finally, NZ residents dont need a visa to enter the USA for stays of up to 3
months? Even though she has a Green Card, she is still a Citizen of NZ, and
travels on a NZ passport. Since she has been out of the USA for more then a
year, there is a chance that the INS will have considered that she has
abandoned her US Permanent Residency if she is not able to provide the Reentry
permit. In such a case, can she come into the USA on a visitor's visa??
All help is greatly appreciated!!
submitting her Application for Travel Document I-131). She recived her Reentry
Permit in the mail late last year but can't find it now.
She is due to leave New Zealand for LAX this Saturday. Does she have to show
the actual Reentry Permit to the BCIS officer at LAX or can he look up his
database and see that she was approved for one already? What happens if she is
unable to provide the Reentry Permit? Will she be turned away at LAX? I faxed
her a copy of the completed I-131 form which we submitted last year to the INS
- will that help her in proving her case?
Finally, NZ residents dont need a visa to enter the USA for stays of up to 3
months? Even though she has a Green Card, she is still a Citizen of NZ, and
travels on a NZ passport. Since she has been out of the USA for more then a
year, there is a chance that the INS will have considered that she has
abandoned her US Permanent Residency if she is not able to provide the Reentry
permit. In such a case, can she come into the USA on a visitor's visa??
All help is greatly appreciated!!
May 8th 2003, 4:41 am
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Lost Reentry Permit - Leaving for LAX this Saturday!!
On Thu, 08 May 2003 02:57:28 +0000, NOT4UinGA wrote:
> My mom got her green card back in 97. She left the USA in Jan 2002 (right after
> submitting her Application for Travel Document I-131). She recived her Reentry
> Permit in the mail late last year but can't find it now.
>
> She is due to leave New Zealand for LAX this Saturday. Does she have to show
> the actual Reentry Permit to the BCIS officer at LAX or can he look up his
> database and see that she was approved for one already?
She would certainly be taking a chance. There are three possible outcomes:
- the officer doesn't even ask her how long she has been outside the US.
In that case, no problem - she'll be admitted with just her GC.
- the officer asks her and then looks up the reentry permit on the
computer. This is possible, but in my opinion unlikely.
- she will be denied admission.
> What happens if she is unable to provide the Reentry Permit? Will she be
> turned away at LAX?
Possibly. At that point, her GC would also be considered revoked.
> I faxed her a copy of the completed I-131 form which we submitted last year to the INS
> - will that help her in proving her case?
Maybe, but not likely.
> Finally, NZ residents dont need a visa to enter the USA for stays of up to 3
> months? Even though she has a Green Card, she is still a Citizen of NZ, and
> travels on a NZ passport. Since she has been out of the USA for more then a
> year, there is a chance that the INS will have considered that she has
> abandoned her US Permanent Residency if she is not able to provide the Reentry
> permit. In such a case, can she come into the USA on a visitor's visa??
Possibly, but not likely. The problem is that she shows fairly clear
immigration intent.
If I was in her shoes, I would continue searching, and if she can't find
the permit, cancel the departure. Visit a US consulate in NZ for
assistance - in that case, the copy of the I-131 will indeed help. My
guess is that in this case, she would end up applying for a new immigrant
visa as a returning permanent resident. The I-131 would serve as evidence
that she did indeed plan to return to the US.
All of it is far from a sure thing, and I really have no first-hand
experience, just some common-sense guesswork.
--
Remember, I am strictly a layperson without any legal training. I encourage
everybody to seek competent legal counsel rather than relying on usenet
newsgroups.
Please visit my new FAQ at http://kkeane.netfirms.com (temporary location)
with a list of interesting immigration links.
My email address in usenet posts is now invalid for spam protection.
Please feel free to enjoy some of my photographs at my new Web site
http://www.ingopakleppa.com ! Comments are welcome.
> My mom got her green card back in 97. She left the USA in Jan 2002 (right after
> submitting her Application for Travel Document I-131). She recived her Reentry
> Permit in the mail late last year but can't find it now.
>
> She is due to leave New Zealand for LAX this Saturday. Does she have to show
> the actual Reentry Permit to the BCIS officer at LAX or can he look up his
> database and see that she was approved for one already?
She would certainly be taking a chance. There are three possible outcomes:
- the officer doesn't even ask her how long she has been outside the US.
In that case, no problem - she'll be admitted with just her GC.
- the officer asks her and then looks up the reentry permit on the
computer. This is possible, but in my opinion unlikely.
- she will be denied admission.
> What happens if she is unable to provide the Reentry Permit? Will she be
> turned away at LAX?
Possibly. At that point, her GC would also be considered revoked.
> I faxed her a copy of the completed I-131 form which we submitted last year to the INS
> - will that help her in proving her case?
Maybe, but not likely.
> Finally, NZ residents dont need a visa to enter the USA for stays of up to 3
> months? Even though she has a Green Card, she is still a Citizen of NZ, and
> travels on a NZ passport. Since she has been out of the USA for more then a
> year, there is a chance that the INS will have considered that she has
> abandoned her US Permanent Residency if she is not able to provide the Reentry
> permit. In such a case, can she come into the USA on a visitor's visa??
Possibly, but not likely. The problem is that she shows fairly clear
immigration intent.
If I was in her shoes, I would continue searching, and if she can't find
the permit, cancel the departure. Visit a US consulate in NZ for
assistance - in that case, the copy of the I-131 will indeed help. My
guess is that in this case, she would end up applying for a new immigrant
visa as a returning permanent resident. The I-131 would serve as evidence
that she did indeed plan to return to the US.
All of it is far from a sure thing, and I really have no first-hand
experience, just some common-sense guesswork.
--
Remember, I am strictly a layperson without any legal training. I encourage
everybody to seek competent legal counsel rather than relying on usenet
newsgroups.
Please visit my new FAQ at http://kkeane.netfirms.com (temporary location)
with a list of interesting immigration links.
My email address in usenet posts is now invalid for spam protection.
Please feel free to enjoy some of my photographs at my new Web site
http://www.ingopakleppa.com ! Comments are welcome.
