TimNiceBut

I had to make a quick trip back to the UK to get my move sorted out now that I know where all my stuff has to go, and I'm now on the verge of flying back.

Tried checking in online with United, clicked that I'm LPR but I don't have a green card yet so I don't have a green card number, obviously, so I'm being refused checkin on account of my roundtrip might lead to me overstaying in the US. Errr....

I assume I can clear this up at the airport tomorrow morning, given that United UK stopped answering the phone at 5pm (guess who called them at 5.30?) and their US phone system is useless for things like this, even though they tell you to call them on a US number. Oh well.

Am I correct to assume that none of the numbers on my IR-1 visa are the ones that the online checkin wants?

meauxna

Your A-Number is always your A-Number; that number is the one that will be on your green card and is now either on your visa or one of your I-797C notices.

It's a 9 digit number starting with an A.

You can travel on an Immigrant Visa (IR-1) that has been endorsed; it will read something like 'when endorsed, serves as an I-551 for one year/until DATE' or similar.
It's the documentary equivilent of your green card.

TimNiceBut

That's the Alien Registration number, correct? I did try that but that led to the error message re me potentially overstaying.


That was my understanding, otherwise I wouldn't have left the US. Let's hope that the people at the checkin know that, too .

Rete

So you will have to check in the old fashioned way ... at the airport.

Marocco

My USC wife and I had a similar problem with United two years ago. They wouldn't let her check in online on the flight back since she didn't have an EU passport (although she does have a visa for the UK). We did manage to call their customer service, but they were completely useless. After that, we decided never to fly with United again.

meauxna

Sometimes the A# needs a zero added to the front of it; that may have been the problem with part 1?

They should definitely recognize it at the airport checkin.
Travel safe!

TimNiceBut

Well, I did manage to get on the plane but it did take a while. Nobody at checkin did know what an endorsed IR-1 looked like and they actually thought that the visa has expired as the six months validity for endorsement has expired. But it was endorsed before that.

Once they checked with the US immigration officers they have on call in London and the officer explained to them what to look for, they did check me in (and kindly ignored the fact that one suitcase was about 3 kgs overweight...)

US immigrations in SFO was not a problem, they obviously knew what an endorsed IR-1 is and didn't see an issue with my GC not having turned up yet.

I'm not planning to travel out of the country again until I have my green card...

meauxna

Phew!

Welcome home.