Stupid Little Green Form!!!

DubShelley

Hi All,

When I was coming back from the US last year, the little green "departure record" form wasn't removed from mine or my boyfriend's passprts. I only noticed this a few months back as it was the first time I travelled to the US and didn't really know what the story was with it.

Now I sent all the relevant docs onto the address given on the US embassy website...including the departure records and boarding passes. But I haven't heard anything back from them. We have our tickets booked for Oct 1st so I'm anxious that we're not going to be let back in!!!

I just called the embassy and the most unhelpful person EVER just kept telling me "it's your responsibility to ensure this record is returned: blah blah. She basically said that I should bring the photocopies with me to customs and they MIGHT let us travel.

Now of course, because it's me, I've lost the photocopies I made of the stuff I sent off... Has anyone out there had this experieince?? Is there a big chance we've just spent a few grand on a holiday and we might not even be able to go??? :eek: :eek: :eek:

Benedict XVI

You should be ok.
Even though the Embassy may not have contacted you they may still have updated their records.

Bring something wilth you to prove that you were in Ireland less than 90 days after you last entered the US. This will prove to them that you did not overstay the 90 days in teh US

You should be fine.

BuffyBot

US Customs and Border Protection wrote:

I did not turn in my I-94 when I left the U.S., what should I do?


Answer

Failure to turn in your I-94 (or I-94W) when you leave the U.S. can create a serious problem. Without this record of your departure, you will be identified in our records as an "overstay." Being identified as an overstay means that you will be denied re-entry into the U.S. If you failed to turn in your I-94, please send it - along with any documentation that proves you left the U.S. to ACS Inc.1084 South Laurel Rd., London, Kentucky 40744.

Documentation to prove your departure can include the boarding pass from your flight. If you exited the country by a land border it is much harder to verify that you did- in fact - leave the country on the date you claim. If you have any documentation of your arrival in your home country (i.e. passport stamp), then you should send a copy of that. If the above office does not have any supporting documents to substantiate your claim to have left the U.S. on a certain date, there is no guarantee that you will be entered into the record as having done so.We strongly urge you to keep a copy of what you send to ACS Inc. and to carry it with you the next time you come to the U.S. in case the CBP officer has any questions about your eligibility to enter.

If you want to confirm that your I-94 was received by ACS, please give them 4 months to process the paperwork. Then you can write the following address to determine whether or not your departure was recorded. If you turned in the I-94 when you left the U.S. as required, please do NOT request confirmation that it is on file. This process is only for people who did not turn in the I-94 when they exited the U.S.

You will need to provide your name, date of birth, passport number, and date of departure, in addition to asking whether or not your departure was recorded. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air Sea Passenger Operations, Room 5.4D, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington D.C. 20229.

For a start, the embassy was the wrong place to send it to. I'm guessing they might forward it on for you, but I would recommend bringing the supporting documentation to the airport with you, just in case.

DubShelley

BuffyBot wrote:

For a start, the embassy was the wrong place to send it to.

Sorry, I didn't send it to the embassy...I actually sent it to;

ACS Inc.
1084 South Laurel Rd.
London, Kentucky 40744
USA

Which is what it says on http://dublin.usembassy.gov/i94.html...I hope this was the right place to send it to!

I have a letter from work to say I returned on the 6th Nov and I've requested a bank statement for that period to prove I withdrew money in the country...I hope that's enough!!

Benedict XVI

DubShelley wrote:

I have a letter from work to say I returned on the 6th Nov and I've requested a bank statement for that period to prove I withdrew money in the country...I hope that's enough!!

Should be plenty, enjoy the trip.

DubShelley

Thanks Benedict XVI! I feel a bit better now...

Roll on Oct 1st!!!

whiskeyman

Hey,

In the same situation as the OP, expect I left it waaaay longer to do anything.
Travelled to the US in 2000, and it was a year later when I realised the importance of the form. I sent it to the above address (I think) but never heard anything back.
I haven't been to the US since, but am thinking of planning a trip soon.
I've no records of the returning documents now, and have had a couple of jobs since. IS there anyway I can find out from the Embassey if my status is 'clear'?
I don't exactly want to book an expensive holiday to find out I'm refused entry.

DubShelley

I called the US Embassy in Dublin and was basically told that there was no way they could check my status. She just said to have some soprt of documents with me to prove that I was in Ireland less than 90 days after I went to the US and be prepared to explain to customs what the story is.

I asked her if there was a possibility that I'd be refused entry and she said she couldn't say either way but that "it wasn't unheard of"...

Ruu_Old

I was in the same situation a few years ago, called the US Embassy in Dublin and they said they would forward it to the US for me. I included a letter, airline ticket and a scan of my passport.

BuffyBot

DubShelley wrote:

Sorry, I didn't send it to the embassy...I actually sent it to;

ACS Inc.
1084 South Laurel Rd.
London, Kentucky 40744
USA

Which is what it says on http://dublin.usembassy.gov/i94.html...I hope this was the right place to send it to!

I have a letter from work to say I returned on the 6th Nov and I've requested a bank statement for that period to prove I withdrew money in the country...I hope that's enough!!

Then you sent it to right place

whiskeyman - check the details I posted above. There is a procedure there to find out if you're departure has been recorded

Tuesday_Girl

This happened to me a couple of times, once I sent it to Kentucky and once I didn't bother. I've been back several times since, with no problems.

CantGetNoSleep

it happens to a load of people, no one seems to care about taking those things out of your passport when you're leaving the u.s.

Happened to my sister and as girls panic so much about very little she rang the embassy, again very unhelpful and unfriendly, but after a lot of effort in finding documents and college records etc she was left back in with no problem, but no thanks to the embassy

Reason no. 432 for my continued hating of Americans

Kid Nothing

Apologies for dragging up an old thread, but i'm in a bit of a predicament!

Long story short is i was staying in Vancouver in summer 2005 on a working visa, i went to Seattle for 2 days with a friend and then back to Vancouver on the bus where i flew home from about 3 days later. I only figured out that i need to get this green card back to customs the other day.

Problem is i'm planning a J1 for the summer and i'll have to have an interview in the embassy and i'm sure they'll be less than impressed with me still having this card.

I don't have my boarding pass and because it was Canadian customs that i went through on the way back to Vancouver i'm fairly sure i'm still going to be on there books.

I should be able to get some college records that i was home and a bank statement but that's about it. Anyone have any advice? Have i left it too late? Will that information be enough?

BuffyBot

Get whatever you can and send it to that address asap and get copies and a postage receipt if you have the interview anytime soon

Creachadóir

This also happened to me. I did nothing. I have returned to the US several times with no problems. I think that they can tell whether you've left the country from flight details or something.