Travel with the residence stamped in the passport

You have concern for your residence stamped in passport? Well, you are worried about your passport that was stamped when you entered the United States after having made a trip to a foreign country without having received the Green card yet. Below you will know all the details that interest you about that sealed residence so that you stop worrying and travel with peace of mind …

Answers to frequently asked questions about residency stamped in passport

1. It is normal that at the time you entered the United States and obtained the immigrant visa, an immigration officer places your residence stamped in passport with the date of entry to the country near or on the immigrant visa.
2. It is a seal that you should not worry about because it works like a Green card, at that moment you become a permanent and legal resident of the United States and it will serve as proof for you to work legally in the United States.
3. The stamp is Temporary I-551 and it fulfills all the functions of a Green card.
4. The stamp with the functions of the Green card is valid for one year until you receive the card in the mail.

You can travel to a foreign country with your residence stamped in your passport

Yes, you can travel abroad without any problem if you comply with:

1. Your passport that is in force.
2. The stamp is not older than 6 months.
3. If your passport expired, you must process a new one and you can travel with both passports, the new and the old one that shows residence.
4. When you enter the United States again, you will have both passports with you to present them at the borders and customs.
5. As you are a permanent resident, you do not need to request an advance parole because with this status you do not need to request a permit to leave the United States.
6. If you were approved for residency but you still have not received the green card by mail and you do not have the stamp in your passport, you cannot travel until you receive the card because you do not have the necessary document for your return to the country.
7. With the residence card stamped in your passport, you can leave the United States and if it is stolen or lost you can go to the American consulate or the embalsada to request the documentation and return to the United States.
8. You can be absent from the country up to 6 months per year and you will not have problems, because if you exceed 6 months, the immigration officer may interpret that you left the country and therefore it will be an abandonment of residence.
9. If you need to be absent for a year or more, then request a permit before your return to the United States. The authorization is obtained from the American consulate or embassy before your return to the United States.
10. If you stay outside the country for two years or more, it is not recommended because it is only allowed in very few cases, as your residence card can be canceled.
11. In fact, you must think that the period of time you remain outside the United States is negatively related to your physical residence in the country and how it will be affected, when applying for citizenship through naturalization you may have problems in obtaining it due to your absence.

Residence card that is stamped in the passport

1. With the residence stamped in passport Due to a temporary trip you will not have problems because your legal permanent resident status will not be interpreted as abandoned.
2. In any case, as a legal permanent resident, you must do everything possible to reside in the United States, as that status can be considered as abandoned, which results in your green card being revoked.
3. If you are a legal permanent resident and you made a trip to a foreign country, you will present your passport with your green card or Green card and the official from the customs and border protection department will stamp it.
4. In addition to the seal, each time you re-enter the United States, as you are a lawful permanent resident, the customs and border protection officer will question and inspect you because it may be assumed that you have abandoned your status.
5. If you made a short trip to a foreign country you can do it and be absent for 6 months or less, because as a legal permanent resident you can re-enter the United States with your green card and your valid passport or with the stamp in your passport that indicates your status permanent resident.

Residence stamped in the passport and an extended trip

1. If you are a legal permanent resident and you plan to take an extended trip, you must qualify for a re-entry permit.
2. You need a permit to re-enter the United States when you are absent from the country for more than a year.
3. Keep in mind that you must be present in the country for various procedures when you apply for the re-entry permit, since it is necessary to capture your fingerprints because it is part of the application for the permit.
4. When you obtain the reentry permit, it will be valid for two years and you must return to the United States before its expiration date.
5. You will retain your legal permanent resident status even if you do not return to the country every six months.
6. Although it is not a renewable permit, as you are a legal permanent resident and you return to the country before its expiration date, you will be able to apply for a new re-entry permit.
7. Keep in mind that even though you obtain a re-entry permit, you are absent from the country and make a visit to the United States, for example every six months or every year, immigration may question your residence, considering it abandoned.
8. A clear example is that you are absent from the United States to live in a foreign country but return to the country once a year with a short trip, in this case the immigration officer may assume that you abandoned your residence.
9. In this way, as a permanent resident who needs to make a prolonged trip to a foreign country, have with you all the towns that indicate that you reside in the United States and the trip you have made was temporary.

If you travel for a long time, so that your legal permanent residence is not questioned, you can present evidence such as:

1. You travel to the foreign country with a specific return date.
2. If that return date was delayed, the causes of that same delay are beyond your control.
3. You can prove with your tax return, affiliation to the organization and family ties. In this way you can see that you always had the intention of staying in the United States, making the country your home.

Requirements to obtain a temporary I-551 stamp in a foreign passport

You can obtain the temporary I-551 stamp in your passport to prove that as a foreigner you are a permanent resident of the United States.

It is a stamp that works as an official notification of residence until you receive your I-551 card, that is, the Green card.

If you need to get the temporary I-551 stamp, you must make sure that you are eligible for permanent residence in the United States and meet several requirements such as:

1. Complete the I-551 application so you can register for adjustment of status or for permanent residence. You download the form by logging into USCIS, print it out, and fill it out.
2. Your valid national passport.
3. Send a money order, the fee for which is $ 1,010.
4. Marriage certificate.
5. Information about your family.
6. Information and contact of your employment.
7. Two passport size photographs.

All this documentation must be submitted to USCIS along with the form and it will process your application.

When the application is approved you will receive the I-551 stamp in your passport. It will be a temporary stamp valid for one year from the date of issue.

Then in a few months you will receive the green card or Green card.