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robt65

Jun 3, 2012, 4:06 PM

Post #1 of 20 (5565 views)

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Renewing USA Green Card While in Mexico

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Looking for some personal experience here, hopefully recent experience.

Has anyone renewed their USA Green Card while they were in Mexico? Can you shed some light on the process for me, such as costs involved etc, new photos necessary, etc?

Thanks

robt65

Papirex

Jun 3, 2012, 7:07 PM

Post #2 of 20 (5536 views)

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Re: [robt65] Renewing USA Green Card While in Mexico

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A “Green card” (Permanent Residency Card) expires six months after a person leaves The United States permanently, they cannot be renewed,, using logic to argue for a renewal will get you nowhere.

If a person maintained a “US permanent residency address” rather than a simple mailing address, they never expire. It usually takes about two years to get an accurate description of what constitutes a valid residency address, most US Government officials never heard of it.

I was told many times by many ignorant people, on several of these boards, that we were breaking the law by maintaining the validity of my late Méxican wife's Green card. She never had to apply for another visa to visit our, or her family in The US, which is what a person that has let their Green Card expire must do. That can be time consuming, and expensive, and there is no assurance that a new visa will be issued.

Sorry if I sound negative, but I have been there and done that.

Rex
"The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved" - Victor Hugo

robt65

Jun 3, 2012, 7:21 PM

Post #3 of 20 (5527 views)

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Re: [Papirex] Renewing USA Green Card While in Mexico

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Hi Rex,

Thanks for your response, but the "new" at the time of my last renewal (a brown colored card) has an expiration date of 07/02/12 on my Permanent Resident Card. I am Canadian by birth. I have to renew the card and the new cards are evidently a different color. I maintain a permanent legal address with owned property in the USA.

robt65

Papirex

Jun 3, 2012, 8:09 PM

Post #4 of 20 (5514 views)

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Re: [robt65] Renewing USA Green Card While in Mexico

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The cards haven't been green colored in many years. The original temporary worker cards issued in WW IL were green, That's how they got the name “Green Card.” I have seen one of those old cards, and they were Green. I have forgotten what color my wife's card was, it was not green though.

My wife's permanent Residency card had no expiration date on it. There was a magnetic information strip on the back of the card. They don't always do it at the border, but if they run it through a card reader, You better know your US home address, etc.

A residence address, recognized by The US Government must be someone's address, it does not need to be the address of the person using it. The person that lives there must be able to get a message to you quickly if the government needs to contact you. A residency Address is used to differentiate it from a mailing address, Which may be a mail forwarding service, or, something as simple as a Post Office box.

You will probably need to contact The US Embassy in México City or a US consulate to solve your problem. Laws and regulations change all of the time, Who knows what may be required today?

Good Luck, Rex
"The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved" - Victor Hugo

Altahabana

Jun 4, 2012, 2:16 PM

Post #5 of 20 (5436 views)

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Re: [robt65] Renewing USA Green Card While in Mexico

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I was having a little trouble following the other post, but a green card (i.e. permanent resident card) is valid for 10 years. You need to file the application for renewal--Form I - 90--before it expires. There is an online application process or the form can be downloaded and mailed. I don't see why the app could not be filed while you are outside of the US, but clearly the USCIS expects someone applying for renewal of permanent resident status to physically reside in the US and I think would expect them to return to the US before the card expired. This is the USCIS website with the information.

http://www.uscis.gov/...CM100000082ca60aRCRD

You need to apply to renew the card before it expires. If you are outside the US when the card expires I can forsee some signficant problems when you try to renew it. A permanent resident needs to be careful about the frequency and the length of their travel outside the US. A resident can be determined to have abandoned their residency if they remain outside the US for frequent and extended periods of time. It would be a red flag in my opinion if a resident allowed his residency status to expire without applying for renewal while outside the country.

diypartner

Jun 29, 2012, 4:47 AM

Post #6 of 20 (4961 views)

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Re: [robt65] Renewing USA Green Card While in Mexico

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Vichil

Jun 29, 2012, 7:18 AM

Post #7 of 20 (4938 views)

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Re: [diypartner] Renewing USA Green Card While in Mexico

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The "green cards" were green in the 70´s and had a white background in the 80´s. I do not know about green card for Canadian but I was issued a permanent resident card in 72 and it was green, one day during the hostage crisis in Iran under Carter ,iI came back from France through LA. and was taken away by immigration who decided I was illegal. After checking they realized they had made a mistake, stamped my card cancelled and told me to get a new one, I did and that card was white.

robt65

Jun 29, 2012, 9:12 AM

Post #8 of 20 (4906 views)

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Re: [Vichil] Renewing USA Green Card While in Mexico

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Hi Vichil,

Seems most people responding are more intreested in the color of the Alien Registration card, than the original question. There are today a few different classifications of Ailen Registration Cards including two of which evidently I could be eligible to apply for, as well as the normal one, the "color" of which I know not. One is called a Resident Commuter and the other is something very similar like a Commuter Resident. I am not sure of the differences yet, but if I have the time I will certainly share that knowledge, including the color of the various cards. (smiling)

robt65

Vichil

Jun 29, 2012, 12:55 PM

Post #9 of 20 (4879 views)

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Re: [robt65] Renewing USA Green Card While in Mexico

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Well you are the one who called your visa a green card. Most of us with a "greencard" know it is a permanent resident card. So the color does matter it refers to the type of visa you have and the Permanent Resident card does not expire unless you leave the country and do not maintain a US address.
Your case is different and you do not have a "green card".

Altahabana

Jun 29, 2012, 5:22 PM

Post #10 of 20 (4856 views)

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Re: [Vichil] Renewing USA Green Card While in Mexico

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"Most of us with a "greencard" know it is a permanent resident card. So the color does matter it refers to the type of visa you have and the Permanent Resident card does not expire unless you leave the country and do not maintain a US address. Your case is different and you do not have a "green card".

I am having trouble following some of these comments. The US Permanent Resident Card is officially known as the Form I-551, but it's commonly called a Green Card because that was the color of the card many years ago. Permanent resident cards are valid for a period of ten years and have to be renewed----they are not valid indefinitely. They do not become invalid or expire if the holder leaves the US, but an extended absence can result in resident status being revoked. US permanent residents who live outside the US need to carefully plan their entries and departures.

Vichil

Jun 29, 2012, 8:23 PM

Post #11 of 20 (4832 views)

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Re: [Altahabana] Renewing USA Green Card While in Mexico

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Interesting I lived and worked in the US for 30 years and never had to renew my "green card". I travelled in and out of the country a lot and was checked many times and no one ever told me it was expired....

Altahabana

Jun 30, 2012, 4:41 AM

Post #12 of 20 (4806 views)

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Re: [Vichil] Renewing USA Green Card While in Mexico

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Anyone who has applied for and received permanent resident status is in the last 15 years (the length of my involvement with immigration matters) has been issued a card that is valid for ten years and renewable. I don't know what the conditions of residency that was granted 30 years ago were but I know what they are today.

And there is most definitely a risk of having residency status revoked based on abandonment. What Robt is looking for is Alien Commuter status which is a sub-catagory of permanent residence.

(This post was edited by Altahabana on Jun 30, 2012, 6:13 AM)

Vichil

Jun 30, 2012, 7:47 AM

Post #13 of 20 (4790 views)

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Re: [Altahabana] Renewing USA Green Card While in Mexico

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Yes they can be revoked. I went through the US on my way to France and was told after 2 years I had left the States that I needed to reaaply for some reentry form or my card would be revoked. That was in 2003.

YucaLandia

Jun 30, 2012, 9:04 AM

Post #14 of 20 (4782 views)

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Re: [Vichil] Renewing USA Green Card While in Mexico

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My wife's Permanent Residency card was also revoked last year due to being out of the USA too much.

In lieu of the "green card", she is using a 10 year visitors visa.
-
Read-on MacDuff
E-visit at http://yucalandia.com

Vichil

Jun 30, 2012, 12:00 PM

Post #15 of 20 (4749 views)

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Re: [YucaLandia] Renewing USA Green Card While in Mexico

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This is what I am planning to go for.Become a Mxican citizen and get a 10 year visa...

robt65

Jun 30, 2012, 2:29 PM

Post #16 of 20 (4729 views)

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Re: [Vichil] Renewing USA Green Card While in Mexico

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I must admit as you have gotten my curiosity up Vichil! (smiling)

When you did get your "reentry permit" were you allowed to keep your same "Permanente Resident Card" that you had never renewed?

My "Permanente Resident Card" is actually an off white color, although we have always called them a "green card". Even today in the USINS office and yes, it is still called that . . . at least on the front door of the office in Texas I went to.

The renewal form I had to use is called the I-90. It was at a cost of $495.00. Then it is mailed back and the person has to go again to the office for additional biometrics to be taken. Then you are good to go for another ten years.

By the way, a person holding a "Green Card" is allowed to stay out of the USA for a year and more continuously as long as they can prove (paying taxes, real estate property ownership and / or some other reasons available from a list of other reasons, if one will only request such before a departure from the USA, or even if you have actually already left the country, as long as you have not announced your intentions to not to return to the USA. Until a person actually takes such measures as actually taking up another countries citizenship (not to be confused as actually taking the oath of allegiance to another country), one has not "legally announced he would not be returning to the USA.

I have also found out that now any veteran of any period of war dating back (now) to the First World War after serving honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces during a period of war, has the right to immediately take a test to be a citizen of the USA if he / she so chooses. This is actually a "Landed Immigrant" status card into the USA more (today) commonly known as a "Permanente Resident Card". Nowhere in the law is it "required" for a "landed Immigrant" to become a U.S. Citizen, however a landed immigrant granted permanent residence status must comply with all laws of the country.

What was also interesting to me, was the government office offered either a fee waiver or partial fee waiver for folks living below the U.S. poverty level. That was a little difficult to swallow for me, especially when one is required not to a financial burden on the state or country!

Whichever way anyone decides to go just be prepared for "sticker shock"!!!!!, unless of course you qualify for their poverty line fee waiver. (smiling)

Regards,

Robert

(This post was edited by robt65 on Jun 30, 2012, 2:48 PM)

Vichil

Jun 30, 2012, 7:25 PM

Post #17 of 20 (4689 views)

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Re: [robt65] Renewing USA Green Card While in Mexico

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The Immigration people a in Houston were not talking about a renewal but some type of reinstatement of the card , they told me I would probably would be better off applying for a new green card. No renewal mentioned in the conversation but that was in 2003. Who knows, I am notgoing to lose sleep over it. Ipay taxes on the money I earn in the States so at least I do not have to worry about the IRS.
They do not care about my green card, just withold 30%of my income wether I like it or not...

(This post was edited by Vichil on Jun 30, 2012, 7:35 PM)

seasun

Jul 1, 2012, 7:10 AM

Post #18 of 20 (4653 views)

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Re: [Vichil] Renewing USA Green Card While in Mexico

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I was thrilled to see this subject come up on this board, as I thought I was the ONLY ONE trying to sort this issue out. I have been told that you are deemed to have abandoned your residency if you are out of the country for long periods, and although I don't know how they know you have been out, I suppose they have a lot of checks if/when you go for your renewal. I also have a 10 yr residency card (the expiry date is stamped on the card) and would sure like to have a new one, just for ease of coming and going. I applied initially with a CAD passport, but that doesn't seem to get you any further up the ranks. SO...November (expiry) is looming and I am really interested in any further details about some topics covered here, like the RESIDENT COMMUTER visa and the 10 YEAR VISITOR visa. Maybe that's the ticket. Problem with the green card renewal is that I think I was supposed to have put in changes of address, which I didn't and have no idea which address I was living at when I first applied 10 years ago and also the questions on the application form specifically ask if you have resided in the U.S. and who your employer is. Another thing, if you apply online using a friend's address and they send you a letter to come in, you will have to be prepared to jump on a plane and make the trip and then in the end, who knows if you will be granted after all those expenses.
If anyone has any suggestions of who we can all get help from here in Mexico to sort out one visa or the other, PLEASE post it here!

Vichil

Jul 1, 2012, 7:54 AM

Post #19 of 20 (4647 views)

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Re: [seasun] Renewing USA Green Card While in Mexico

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I cannot help you , my card has no issuance date on it and no expiring date , we have something different.I spoke with an immigration lawyer when I was in the States 10 years ago and in my situation it would be faster and easier to reapply for a green card. I was told it would take several years for me to get a new one and since I do not live there , have no address there and am not planning to return to live there, it is not worth it.
They knew how long I had been out of the country as my passport gets stamped when I go in and out. I used to fly through the States and my passport would be stamped.
I do not do that any longer and go back to Europe direct via Mexico so my situation is different from yours. I would suggest you go to a US Immigration lawyer if you can or speak directly with thte Immigration services....

HollyMaguire266

Dec 20, 2012, 2:25 AM

Post #20 of 20 (2389 views)

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Re: [robt65] Renewing USA Green Card While in Mexico

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You could renew your US Green Cards even though you're in Mexico. You need to consult local immigration lawyer to finish all the formalities for you. You just need to visit the immigration in Mexico for the to finish up the other formalities.

Please visit this site here: http://immigration.terra.com/greencard_renewal.html

(This post was edited by HollyMaguire266 on Dec 20, 2012, 3:50 AM)