mohan/sammy/ummesh- pls help

My mother is a p. resident tho as of now she has not received her plastic greencard. Actually she got one already but her name was misspelled so she had to return it back. Last yr she went back to the Phil but before doing so she got a reentry permit valid till 2004. While in the Phil her I-551 stampped on her passport had already expired. Now she is planning to travel back to the U.S. Without her plastic greencard and with an expired I-551 on her passport, can she be admitted back with just a valid reentry permit. Pls inform me also if embassy in the Phil can renew her I551.
Thank you.

My mother is a p. resident tho as of now she has not received her plastic greencard. Actually she got one already but her name was misspelled so she had to return it back. Last yr she went back to the Phil but before doing so she got a reentry permit valid till 2004. While in the Phil her I-551 stampped on her passport had already expired. Now she is planning to travel back to the U.S. Without her plastic greencard and with an expired I-551 on her passport, can she be admitted back with just a valid reentry permit. Pls inform me also if embassy in the Phil can renew her I551.
Thank you.

TO: TERRYBLE

Your mother needs to go to local INS office to have stamp on her passport for I-551 as a proof of her p.residency each and every time it expires until she receives her actual plastic card in the mail. But, if she is planning to travel outside the United States, then she needs to maks sure that it is good for travel too, because sometime INS does not know that you are plannig to travel or whatelse and they just put "VALID FOR WORK", otherwise, she needs to ask for a stamp of I-551 to travel too which would say"VALID FOR TRAVEL".

Yes, it is true that it takes very long time for INS to send you a plastic green card in the mail if you live in east coast( i would say sometime a yr), and it would be more longer if you have requested for correction in yr name since it was misspelled previously, but the stamp works as same as card without any differences between them.
I assume that you live in east coast while it takes only a month in the west coast.

As far as travelling on a reentry visa which was issued in the Philippines is concerned, it is not advisable even though reentry permit is good until 2004. I would strongly advise you that yr mother should go to the local INS office and get the I-551 stamp on her passport before to leave (there is no any fee for this stamp) and make sure that she would not stay there(in Philippines) a yr or more, otherwise she would loose her residency and then she needs to prove very hard thru compelling reasons to the INS that why she should be allowed to reinstate her p.residency. By the way, what part of Philippines are you from since i have been there many times in the past and love it.

To begin with I'm from Lucena, and it's in Quezon Province. Good to know that you visited the Phil and that you like it.
I guess my question is not very clear to you and it's my fault. Actually, my mother is based in SFO, Cal. She arrived there couple of years ago thru a petition from my sister who is already a citizen. She stayed for more than a yr before going back to the Phil to settle important matters there. It was here that she was given a reentry permit that is valid up to yr 2004.When she went back to the Phil her I551 on her passport is still valid. However it expired while she was stiil there. If it is only here at local INS that she can have it renewed, what then is her remedy now that she is still in there Phil. Can her reentry permit good enough for her to be admitted back even if her I551 is already expired.

TO: TERRYBLE

Now, i got the picture of yr mother's situation. She can use the reentry permit which is good upto 2004. The reason she was given that reentry permit because she did not know in the past that she would be able to return back to u.s. within a yr since immigration laws state very clearly that if someone has plan to stay outside the u.s. for a year or more continously, then they need to obtain a reentry permit in advance from the INS, otherwise they will not be able to return since their p.residency would be revoked.

So, my answer to you is that yr mother definately can use that valid reentry permit which she has in order to return back even though the stamp of I-551 on her passport has been expired on it. Moreover, even if yr mother plans to stay out there beyond the periord of her valid reentry permit, then she need to go to the U.S.Embassy in Manila for a reentry visa wherin she needs to prove to the counselor that she did not have intention to abandon her p.residency intentonally, while the compelling circumstances were beyond her control which had forced her to extend her stay in the Philippines. If counselor is satisfied with her reasons, she would be able to receive the reentry visa to reenter to u.s. Some of those compelling reasons are- death in the family, involvement in legal suits, taking cares of elderly or children when no one were there to take care of them, property settlement cases, getting medical treatments etc.

It is very surprised to me to know that you are from a place where i visit often. It is - Ilang-Ilang sts., Zaballero Subdivision, Lucena city-4301. Wow, then i would say its really a small world, isn't it (diba)? Take care.

Thank you so much for your advice. You are really a big help to me and to many who are learning so much from you. Keep up the good work.
Surprise to know that you visited Lucena. Zaballero Subd is very near my fathers residence. Actually it is just adjacent to Zaballero. I'm wondering who in Lucena did you visit. Maybe you can tell me and perhaps and who knows if I know them myself.

TO: TERRYBLE

I have a far away aunt who is a nun, who used to be in vatican city, Rome, but for the last two yrs, she has been assigned to Philippines until further assignment. I usually visit her since she is as a second mom to me, and she always gives me the right direction/advise in the life as well i do wanna spend some time to know about her devotion to the God. She had a friend who lives in Lucena, that's why i visited them with my aunt. Being going there so often, i am kinda part of their family now. I can give you their names and addresses, who know you might(perhaps) know this family since your father lives nearby over there, but i feel very uncomfortable to disclose it over here on the net, so if you want, you can write me on my email address:
WILERAO@HOTMAIL.COM

Thanks for yr appreciation and good luck in yr mother's situation. Take care always.

"Sammy" says:

"Moreover, even if yr mother plans to stay out there beyond the periord of her valid reentry permit, then she need to go to the U.S.Embassy in Manila for a reentry visa wherin she needs to prove to the counselor that she did not have intention to abandon her p.residency intentonally, while the compelling circumstances were beyond her control which had forced her to extend her stay in the Philippines."

NOT ADVISABLE. SHE'S BETTER OFF NOT APPLYING FOR ANY REENTRY VISAS, BUT JUST USE HER REENTRY PERMIT TO RETURN TO THE U.S.

Just to remind that sammy said if yr mother plans to stay in ph. beyond the expiration of her reentry permit, then she still be able to get reentry permit from the embassy based on her particular situation. sammy, never advised to get the reentry visa from the embassy prior to the expiration of reentry permit issued by the immigration. he said only after the expiration of reentry permit.

just to add= sammy is right in his advise.