international travel w/ expired 2y GC + I-797 extension (I-751 pending) — in current situation (ICE) anyone with recent experiences?🙏🏼 looking for advice or reasurrance
TL;DR: I have an expired 2-year green card + valid I-797 extension. Need to travel to Mexico due to a family emergency and return (alone). Looking for very recent experiences—was re-entry smooth?
Hi everyone! I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences
I’m currently in the process of removing conditions on my green card. My 2-year green card is expired, but I have the I-797C extension notice that extends my status.
Due to a family emergency, I may need to travel internationally (to Mexico from SFO or San Jose). My husband is a USC, but he wouldn’t be able to travel with me because of work.
I understand that, legally, traveling with an expired green card + valid I-797 extension is allowed. However, I’m an anxious person, and I’ve seen concerning stories online that made me a bit nervous about traveling alone and re-entering (bc of ICE situations). Including people with legal status being wrongly detained.
For context, I have:
• No criminal history
• Have maintained legal status the entire time
• All my documentation (expired GC + extension letter)
I’d really appreciate if anyone who has traveled internationally in a similar situation (expired 2-year GC with I-797 extension) could share their experience—especially re-entering the U.S.
Did you have any issues at the airport or with ICE?
Was the process smooth overall?
Thank you so much in advance—just trying to make an informed decision and calm my nerves a bit.