My Re-entry permit application experience

[simpsons]

Just thought of sharing my experience. Presently I am living outside the US with my husband. I recently made a trip to the US, especially to apply for the re-entry permit. My permanent address is in Louisiana. However, I managed the whole process from San Francisco.

I reached San Francisco and mailed my application the next day (timeline given below). I also submitted a cover letter requesting an expedited appointment for bio-metrics and it worked!! I got the appointment letter very soon and I was also able to do an early walk in at a non-scheduled Application Support Center. My appointment was at the New Orleans ASC, but I did an early walk in at the San Francisco ASC. I went in at 1:45pm on a Tuesday. The center was empty. I was the only person they were attending to. The lady at the counter even filled the form on my behalf. They took my picture and fingerprints. I was in and out in 10 minutes!! No questions asked. More people started coming in after 2pm. I was excited because I had tried an early walk-in at New Orleans ASC once in 2011 and was turned down.

I have requested the re-entry permit to be mailed to the US consulate in the Country I am presently living in. Will update this post once I receive it (hopefully soon).

All the USCIS notices and letters were mailed to my permanent address in Louisiana and my family was sending me the scanned copies.

Below is my timeline

Application sent by fedex - 9th Aug, 2012
Reached USCIS Dallas lockbox - 10th Aug, 2012
NOA receipt letter prepared on - 13th Aug, 2012
Check cashed - 14th Aug, 2012
NOA receipt letter received in mail from USCIS- 17th Aug, 2012
NOA Biometrics appointment letter prepared on - 15th Aug, 2012
NOA Biometrics appointment letter received on - 20th Aug, 2012
Date/place of early walk in biometrics - 21st Aug, 2012/ San Francisco ASC
Date/place of original Biometrics appointment - 27th Aug, 2012/ New Orleans ASC

[immihelp]

Thank you for posting it.

[tinacen]

Reentry permit

I have a similar experience with reentry permit. I sent a doctor's report to expedite my application and it was accepted. From the day mailing the application to giving finger prints it took two weeks to complete the application process.My biometrics appointment was in Santa Rosa, but I was able to get it done in in San Francisco advance of my appointment. In SF ASC, it was easy to get the biometrics done. I did not even wait even though it was a walk-in .

What is surprising to me that even though I gave my email address in the application, the bio appointment notice was not emailed to me. I got it through regular mail. In addition, the USCIS web site is not reliable. I was hoping to see my bio appointment date from the system but I did not see it there. I called the USCIS before receiving my bio notice through regular mail. Even though the appointment was scheduled, the customer service rep. was not able to see it from their system. So, in reentry permit process, you have to rely on regular mail. Best luck to everybody.

[Mike83]

Need help!

Hi
Can you tell me what you wrote in your cover letter? how i can expedite my appointment?

[cafeconleche]

You need to provide a reason like health, family emergency, study, urgent work, etc., that is abroad that you need to attend to for an extended period. You don't always need to show proof, but it helps. But, you can leave before they issue it so it's not often necessary for an expedited permit, unless you don't have access to a national passport and need the permit to travel with.

[oconnokr]

Reentry permit

I am curious to hear what you wrote in your cover letter to expedite your biometrics? Was it based on any of the criteria listed for expedited biometrics or did you just simply add it with the hope that it might happen?
Thanks!

[oconnokr]

reentry permit

Just thought of sharing my experience. Presently I am living outside the US with my husband. I recently made a trip to the US, especially to apply for the re-entry permit. My permanent address is in Louisiana. However, I managed the whole process from San Francisco.

I reached San Francisco and mailed my application the next day (timeline given below). I also submitted a cover letter requesting an expedited appointment for bio-metrics and it worked!! I got the appointment letter very soon and I was also able to do an early walk in at a non-scheduled Application Support Center. My appointment was at the New Orleans ASC, but I did an early walk in at the San Francisco ASC. I went in at 1:45pm on a Tuesday. The center was empty. I was the only person they were attending to. The lady at the counter even filled the form on my behalf. They took my picture and fingerprints. I was in and out in 10 minutes!! No questions asked. More people started coming in after 2pm. I was excited because I had tried an early walk-in at New Orleans ASC once in 2011 and was turned down.

I have requested the re-entry permit to be mailed to the US consulate in the Country I am presently living in. Will update this post once I receive it (hopefully soon).

All the USCIS notices and letters were mailed to my permanent address in Louisiana and my family was sending me the scanned copies.

Below is my timeline

Application sent by fedex - 9th Aug, 2012
Reached USCIS Dallas lockbox - 10th Aug, 2012
NOA receipt letter prepared on - 13th Aug, 2012
Check cashed - 14th Aug, 2012
NOA receipt letter received in mail from USCIS- 17th Aug, 2012
NOA Biometrics appointment letter prepared on - 15th Aug, 2012
NOA Biometrics appointment letter received on - 20th Aug, 2012
Date/place of early walk in biometrics - 21st Aug, 2012/ San Francisco ASC
Date/place of original Biometrics appointment - 27th Aug, 2012/ New Orleans ASC

I am curious to hear what you wrote in your cover letter to expedite your biometrics? Was it based on any of the criteria listed for expedited biometrics or did you just simply add it with the hope that it might happen?
Thanks!

[madu12]

need a reentry permit ?

My wife a green card holder left USA on January 9th 2014 and came back to USA on April 24th 2014. (3 and half months outside the usa)

Now she wants to go back to my home country on October 1st 2014 and come back to usa on January 21st 2015 (2 and half months outside usa)

my only question is to know whether she needs a reentry permit when she come back on 21st Jan 2015

[rohith97203]

time line of reentry permit

Could you tell me how many days did it took for you to get the permit card

[Shi Ma]

Reentry permit emergency

Hello.
My parent is going to reapply for a rentry permit during his trip to USA for only week. We will add a cover letter to ask for walking through in biometric office rather than waiting for the regular process due to some family emergency issue.
But i am wondering whether in 5 working days uscis can allow him to do so?
He needs to leave US after 5 days. Still his old reentry permit is valid but he needs to resend it to you uscis.
Any comments?