Re-entry Visa

[curtlives]

Hello There,

 

My wife just received her passport back with a temporary I-551. We are now going to apply for Re-entry visa application. However we are still overseas but plan to go to America at the end of this month. Should we send the application to the Guangzhou USCIS office or one of them in the states (Nebraska)? Also if I pay the fee $305 US in China to the embassy what the process of doing this?

 

Our goal is to get back to China as soon as possible so I can continue the work that we are doing here. So anyone who has done this before, I would appreciate your help.

 

Also do I need to include any additional photos? It said that a biometric fee would need to be paid as well ($80) however, I believe this is done afterwards.

 

Thanks again,

 

Curtlives

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

Hello There,

 

My wife just received her passport back with a temporary I-551. We are now going to apply for Re-entry visa application. However we are still overseas but plan to go to America at the end of this month. Should we send the application to the Guangzhou USCIS office or one of them in the states (Nebraska)? Also if I pay the fee $305 US in China to the embassy what the process of doing this?

 

Our goal is to get back to China as soon as possible so I can continue the work that we are doing here. So anyone who has done this before, I would appreciate your help.

 

Also do I need to include any additional photos? It said that a biometric fee would need to be paid as well ($80) however, I believe this is done afterwards.

 

Thanks again,

 

Curtlives

 

I think you are referring to a re-entry permit? It's my understanding that you need to apply that it while you're in the US and wait there until you get it. This certainly creates quite an inconvenience in our case, so we simply pass on getting the re-enty permit. My wife has her green card, and we are in China, where we both live and work, at least temporarily. To ensure we maintain my wife's green card status, we travel to the US periodically; about twice a year.

Edited June 7, 2009 by ShaQuaNew (see edit history)

[Dennis143]

Hello There,

 

My wife just received her passport back with a temporary I-551. We are now going to apply for Re-entry visa application. However we are still overseas but plan to go to America at the end of this month. Should we send the application to the Guangzhou USCIS office or one of them in the states (Nebraska)? Also if I pay the fee $305 US in China to the embassy what the process of doing this?

 

Our goal is to get back to China as soon as possible so I can continue the work that we are doing here. So anyone who has done this before, I would appreciate your help.

 

Also do I need to include any additional photos? It said that a biometric fee would need to be paid as well ($80) however, I believe this is done afterwards.

 

Thanks again,

 

Curtlives

 

I think you are referring to a re-entry permit? It's my understanding that you need to apply that it while you're in the US and wait there until you get it. This certainly creates quite an inconvenience in our case, so we simply pass on getting the re-enty permit. My wife has her green card, and we are in China, where we both live and work, at least temporarily. To ensure we maintain my wife's green card status, we travel to the US periodically; about twice a year.

I agree. Listen and take heed what brother shaquonew says. You can take to the bank his advice.

Edited June 7, 2009 by Dennis143 (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Hello There,

 

My wife just received her passport back with a temporary I-551. We are now going to apply for Re-entry visa application. However we are still overseas but plan to go to America at the end of this month. Should we send the application to the Guangzhou USCIS office or one of them in the states (Nebraska)? Also if I pay the fee $305 US in China to the embassy what the process of doing this?

 

Our goal is to get back to China as soon as possible so I can continue the work that we are doing here. So anyone who has done this before, I would appreciate your help.

 

Also do I need to include any additional photos? It said that a biometric fee would need to be paid as well ($80) however, I believe this is done afterwards.

 

Thanks again,

 

Curtlives

 

 

 

You don't say how long you were gone - if you were gone longer than a year, you may need the returning resident (SB-1) visa.

 

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_1333.html

Edited June 7, 2009 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Carl]

Hello There,

 

My wife just received her passport back with a temporary I-551. We are now going to apply for Re-entry visa application. However we are still overseas but plan to go to America at the end of this month. Should we send the application to the Guangzhou USCIS office or one of them in the states (Nebraska)? Also if I pay the fee $305 US in China to the embassy what the process of doing this?

 

Our goal is to get back to China as soon as possible so I can continue the work that we are doing here. So anyone who has done this before, I would appreciate your help.

 

Also do I need to include any additional photos? It said that a biometric fee would need to be paid as well ($80) however, I believe this is done afterwards.

 

Thanks again,

 

Curtlives

 

I think you are referring to a re-entry permit? It's my understanding that you need to apply that it while you're in the US and wait there until you get it. This certainly creates quite an inconvenience in our case, so we simply pass on getting the re-enty permit. My wife has her green card, and we are in China, where we both live and work, at least temporarily. To ensure we maintain my wife's green card status, we travel to the US periodically; about twice a year.

You have to file the re-entry permit or advance parole in the US, but you can have it sent to the US Consulate nearest your location. If Ying had not gotten her citizenship, she would have had it sent to the Consulate in Shenyang

[shanghaigale]

Hi Curtlives,

As far as I know you still need to apply for the reentry permit while you are in the USA. That was the case when we did it. As I remember the form you fill out is the 131 (the same as the one for advance parol). My wife obtained a CR1. We used the DCF process. Also we did this back in 2001, however, I don't think the process has changed since then. What we did was fly back to the USA just prior to the original visa expiring. We were processed with the I-551 stamp and only stayed in the USA for 11 days. We went to the SS office first and applied for a SS card. Then sent in the paperwork for the Reentry permit which we filled out before leaving. As I remember it went to the Nebraska service center for our area. You can request that the reentry permit be forwarded to the nearest consulate where you live. I think the form had a block for that, but to be honest it was a long time ago and I could be wrong. We lived in Shanghai so thats where we had it forwarded. We then flew back to my job there for another 15 months. I checked in with the consulate in Shanghai and explained the situation and they said they would notify me when it showed up. It took about 6 months but it showed up with no problems. If it wouldn't have shown up, we would have ended up flying back before the end of one year using the I-551 stamp in her passport. The reentry permit worked like a charm. We probably could have had the Green card forwarded to us to, but I wasn't sure if that would work so we didn't. She didn't need it at all and picked it up after we returned permanently to the USA. We then had to apply for removal of conditions in another 7 months after arriving permanently in the USA. We didn't have any trouble at any stage of the process. Good luck.

Gale

 

Hello There,

 

My wife just received her passport back with a temporary I-551. We are now going to apply for Re-entry visa application. However we are still overseas but plan to go to America at the end of this month. Should we send the application to the Guangzhou USCIS office or one of them in the states (Nebraska)? Also if I pay the fee $305 US in China to the embassy what the process of doing this?

 

Our goal is to get back to China as soon as possible so I can continue the work that we are doing here. So anyone who has done this before, I would appreciate your help.

 

Also do I need to include any additional photos? It said that a biometric fee would need to be paid as well ($80) however, I believe this is done afterwards.

 

Thanks again,

 

Curtlives

[dnoblett]

Passport with temporary I-551. The I-551 allows re-entry, I-551 = Green-card.

 

No re-entry permit or returning resident visa needed unless you have been out of the country longer than a year. Re-entry permit is applied for before leaving the USA if anticipated trip will be longer than a year. Returning resident visa is applied for overseas in cases here being ont of USA was un-anticipated.

 

I-131 instructions:

(Page 2)

1. Re-entry Permit

A. If you are in the United States as a permanent resident or conditional permanent resident, you may apply for a re-entry permit. After filing your application for a re-entry permit, USCIS will inform you in writing when to go to your local Application Support Center (ASC) for your biometrics appointment. (See Biometric Services Requirement.)

 

You must be physically present in the United States when you file the Re-entry Permit application. However, a Re-entry Permit may be sent to a U.S. Embassy or consulate or Department of Homeland Security (DHS) office abroad for you to pick up, if you request it when you file your application.

 

Departure from the United States before a decision is made on an application for a Re-entry Permit usually does not affect the application. However, where biometric collection is required and the applicant departs the United States before the biometrics are collected, the application may be denied.

 

With the exception of having to obtain a returning resident visa abroad, a Re-entry Permit does not relieve you of any of the requirements of U.S. immigration laws.

If you stay outside the United States for less than one year, you are not required to apply for a Re-entry Permit. You may re-enter the United States on your Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551).

 

(Page 6)

2. Re-entry Permits

 

If you are a Lawful Permanent Resident or a Conditional Permanent Resident and are applying for a Re-entry Permit, file your Form I-131 with the Nebraska Service Center at the address below:

 

USCIS Nebraska Service Center

P.O. Box 87131

Lincoln, NE 68501-7131

[/b]

http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-131instr.pdf

 

Cannot file overseas, Green-card holder needs to be IN the USA before filing the I-131, and needs to do biometrics in the USA.

Edited July 8, 2009 by dnoblett (see edit history)

[shanghaigale]

From the current instructions it looks like the only thing that has changed since we did it over 8 years ago is the requirement for the biometrics. This wasn't required back then. After filing for the I-131, or maybe before that time. I would check with the local office when you get back to the USA and see if its possible to get them to speed up the biometrics as fast as possible after returning to the USA. That way it would be possible to leave again for china as soon as that was completed. If the job isn't going to last over 1 year more, you wouldn't even need the reentry permit anyway. Also remember that you will need to file for removal of conditions at around 1 year 9 months after entering the USA for the first time on the CR1. So the reentry permit will effectively only be worth an extra 9-12 months of time out of the country. If you don't file for the removal by the 2 year time period, then the green card would no longer be valid and you would have to start over with the visa process again. As a last resort if you don't get the reentry permit just return to the USA prior to the end of one year and you wouldn't need it anyway. You could then return to China again until you needed to file for the removal of conditions.

Gale

 

 

Passport with temporary I-551. The I-551 allows re-entry, I-551 = Green-card.

 

No re-entry permit or returning resident visa needed unless you have been out of the country longer than a year. Re-entry permit is applied for before leaving the USA if anticipated trip will be longer than a year. Returning resident visa is applied for overseas in cases here being ont of USA was un-anticipated.

 

I-131 instructions:

(Page 2)

1. Re-entry Permit

A. If you are in the United States as a permanent resident or conditional permanent resident, you may apply for a re-entry permit. After filing your application for a re-entry permit, USCIS will inform you in writing when to go to your local Application Support Center (ASC) for your biometrics appointment. (See Biometric Services Requirement.)

 

You must be physically present in the United States when you file the Re-entry Permit application. However, a Re-entry Permit may be sent to a U.S. Embassy or consulate or Department of Homeland Security (DHS) office abroad for you to pick up, if you request it when you file your application.

 

Departure from the United States before a decision is made on an application for a Re-entry Permit usually does not affect the application. However, where biometric collection is required and the applicant departs the United States before the biometrics are collected, the application may be denied.

 

With the exception of having to obtain a returning resident visa abroad, a Re-entry Permit does not relieve you of any of the requirements of U.S. immigration laws.

If you stay outside the United States for less than one year, you are not required to apply for a Re-entry Permit. You may re-enter the United States on your Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551).

 

(Page 6)

2. Re-entry Permits

 

If you are a Lawful Permanent Resident or a Conditional Permanent Resident and are applying for a Re-entry Permit, file your Form I-131 with the Nebraska Service Center at the address below:

 

USCIS Nebraska Service Center

P.O. Box 87131

Lincoln, NE 68501-7131

[/b]

http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-131instr.pdf

 

Cannot file overseas, Green-card holder needs to be IN the USA before filing the I-131, and needs to do biometrics in the USA.