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Traveling can be stressful. The thought of international travel with an expired green card and extension letter is nerve-racking. However, that anxiety is unnecessary. It’s a shockingly smooth process despite our natural fears or previous experiences with US Customs and Border Protection
USCIS Green Card Process
When you adjust your status to permanent residency in the United States through marriage to a US citizen you are issued one of two types of green cards:
- If your marriage is longer than two years at time of application then you receive a green card valid for 10 years.
- If your marriage is less than two-years-old then you receive “conditional residency” and a green card valid for two years. After 2 years of residency you must file an I-751 to remove the conditions
When my husband adjusted his status from a F-1 student visa to permanent residency, he was issued the two-year green card. So within 90 days prior to his green card’s expiration date he filed an application to remove the conditions. After mailing the 2 inch stack of supporting documents earlier this year, USCIS quickly issued a I-797 NOA. This is commonly known as the extension letter. It documents his pending removal of conditions application and confirms his legal status.
How to Travel with an Expired Green Card and Extension Letter
This makes travel a little tricky because you can no longer use the Global Entry or US citizen/resident kiosks to clear immigration when re-entering the United States. Although it’s not nearly as painful as using an EAD/AP combo card like we did when returning to Boston from Dubai.
In fact, using the expired green card and extension letter allowed us use the US citizens and resident immigration line. Our return home from our Mediterranean cruise routed us Bari to Munich to Newark to Dallas on three different airlines. If you have an itinerary with multiple connections, then it’s a smart idea to use luggage locks like these. Just in case you’re separated from your bags.
Air Dolomiti first checked his documents at the check-in counter. The agent immediately recognized the document, but needed further clarification from a colleague. She needed to confirm whether to use one year from his green card expiration date or one year from the extension letter issue date as his validity date. She ended up using one year from the green card expiration date.
Next a Lufthansa agent in Munich checked his documents again before allowing him to board our flight to Newark. No issues here.
Lufthansa Senator Lounge Munich
Finally we arrived in Newark with only 2 hours until our next flight. We definitely should have selected an itinerary with a longer connection. Especially considering we flew economy and Sean could not use his Global Entry membership. We found the closest immigration official, informed her of Sean’s situation, and asked her which line we should join. She directed us to the appropriate line said instructed us to tell the next agent, “I have an extension letter and need to speak with an officer.”
When the officer motioned us to the counter, Sean handed his expired green card, extension letter, and New Zealand passport. After minimal questioning he successfully entered the US. Speaking to an officer proved to be the most fortunate thing in terms of moving through that long line. By skipping the kiosks (and a second line) it saved us valuable time. It allowed us to just barely make our connecting flight after collecting our checked luggage and re-checking them at the United counter.
Moving Forward
Considering the fact that the California Service Center is experiencing a processing backlog, we expect Sean to become a US citizen prior to ever receiving his new green card. So, unfortunately, he’ll need to repeat this process every time he leaves the country for the next year. Hopefully the future experiences go just as smoothly and we plan for longer connection times.
Featured image courtesy of Stocksnap.io