British Expatriate Network

Can anyone help with information.

I got my I-551 stamp back in April 2001, thru the Dallas INS office. Yet to receive the green card - no surprise there !! I will be travelling overseas in the summer and therefore will need a new stamp to allow me to re-enter etc. Do I just need to wander back down to the INS office and line up again ?? What information apart from my passport do I need to take etc ? Any information gratefully accepted.
Regards

That sounds like a long time not to get your Green Card. I suppose being in Texas there must be quite a demand, compared to Oregon where I got mine. I think mine took about 3 months to arrive.

Mine took about 6 months, although we have an office in Norfolk that just serves Southern Virginia.

My green card arrived about 3 months after the stamp (stamped in Phildelphia).

I was able to re-enter the country no problems just with the stamp in the passport.

In Philly airport you go to a different line if you are not American, unless you have a green card. For me it was a couple of quick questions about the weather and welcome back! Much easier than entering on a visa.

Last time I came in to San Francisco (pre 9/11), they just swiped my card and we didn't even have to discuss the weather!

Thanks guys - anyone else suffered this fate in the great state of Texas ???

File form G731 to request status of your green card. They may not just give you a stamp automatically at the INS office without some paperwork saying why you should get one. If anything you should take your notice of action but better would be the paperwork that comes back as a result of filing G731. I've just filed my second.

Regards
Nigel

I got my greencard in exactly one month, sent directly from the Texas service center. Entered the USA on the 14th December, got the 10 year greencard January 14th.

Even got an NOA from the TSC a day later welcoming me to the USA. This part was easy, getting a social security was not, and i'm still waiting since the 17th December. They had to send the application off to the INS for "verification" before Baltimore could issue me with a number.

I’m thinking about going back down (to Newburgh NY SSA) and showing them my physical greencard and ask them to hurry it along because I have been unable to work or get a drivers licence here. One plus though is I did manage to get a bank account without a SS# - I used my ITIN and they accepted it for now on the basis I will tell them when I get the number – whenever that is!!

I am surprised the INS issuing greencards can beat the SSA!

PriZm.

I dunno Tony. I have yet to experience the "real" horrors of the Dallas service center. I did sit all day for my adjustment of status interview because they forgot me, but I dealt with that. I just got my letter from INS saying they received my application to remove my conditions of residency and only time will tell whether I'll actually get my 10 year gc on time!

The stamp in your passport is your visa - & will be fine for re-entering thru immigration - this I know because I once lost my GC & while waiting (3 months) in NY for a new one, had to travel with I-551 stamp only. No problems.

INS says average wait for a new G. card is 10 months these days - probaby skewed by centres like Dallas, which processes many Mexicans, South Americans etc. I recommend Boston (Vermont processing centre) as a port of entry- 4 weeks for a Green Card, 3 DAYS for a Social Security card!