Couple questions about I-131

[MarcRosie]

Wife's daughter is back in the states now. We are waiting on the acceptance letter from the university that she will be going to in Hangzhou to include this with the 131. Can the 131 be expedited? I read a couple places where advance parole can but not a re-entry permit. Also, as soon as this is approved and we hear of this (797?) can we do a walk in for the biometrics or do we have to wait until they say we can do the biometrics and then do a walk in so it can be sooner than having to wait until it's scheduled.

 

Also, worst case scenario, they don't give us the bio approval before the daughter has to go back to China can she take it at a consulate? Have no idea why they make it so difficult. Should be able to go to the local police department take them and have them sent to USCIS.

 

Thanks!

[MarcRosie]

OK...We're filling out the I-131 Re-Entry Permit form.

 

Can the 131 be expedited? If so how? we are waiting on the letter from the university she was accepted to to include this with the 131. Of course it's taking way longer for them to send it to her than they said it would take. So we're pretty much running out of time as she needs to go back to Chengdu the end of July. And unless it can be expedited.....

 

Do we really have to have the re-entry permit if her daighter comes back to the USA before one year absence? They suggest that the re-entry permit is not required unless you stay out of the US between a year and 2 years.

 

Sorry for all the questions on what might seem like an easy thing but I just want to make sure we're doing what we should do. And also, if really not needed no need to spend the $445 for something that might be processed too late and she's already out of the country so it was all for not.

 

Thanks!

[dnoblett]

You can always try doing an infopass appointment shortly after filing the I-131 to see if they would expedite the biometrics appointment, however in most cases a biometric happens within a month or so of filing an application.

 

She does not need to be physically present in the states after the biometric, USCIS can send the travel document to a US Consulate or Embassy in China for her to pick up, or you could simply mail it to her by a secure method.

 

http://i949.photobucket.com/albums/ad334/dnoblett/Immigration%20Stuff/I-131Reentryrequirement.png

 

I-131 instructions

[MarcRosie]

Thanks Dan!

 

I talked with USCIS 3 times and it's always the same. They really don't know much more than what the card in front of them is telling them. But we appreciate any help.

 

One question I asked is if she had to be physically IN THE USA when the application is filed. Her comment was "USCIS has access to travel records and so they could tell if she wasn't physically here when the app was actually sent in." Problem we have which we have now is timing. Just not enough time for a student to be in the USA the amount of time they need to be here to wait this all out. And with there being no real set time frame on how long it actually does take, it's really a crap shoot. If we could send in the app 30 days prior to her coming over, it would at least give us a better chance that soon after she got here the biometrics could be taken.

 

If the biometrics could be in a couple weeks (now) it would work. But I was told that they do not expedite any 131 or biometrics unless it is truly an emergency. And needing to get back to go to school they say isn't an emergency. But say that they could try but it would be totally up to the officer at the InfoPass to make that decision.

 

Called USCIS again asking a few questions about InfoPass and timing. Now they say up to 30 days to get the receipt # and then 30 days for the biometrics. Then when we have the receipt # we could call USCIS to see if we could get it expedited. But no promises nor anything that seemed very positive.

Edited June 29, 2015 by MarcRosie (see edit history)