San Jose INS office - I-551 renewal stamp - experience ???

Hail INS · 08-14-2001, 04:11 PM

My I-551 stamp in the passport is to expire on Jan 1, 2002 and I am planning to visit India
in Oct end. Would anyone share his/her experience with San Jose INS office for renewing
I-551 stamp on passport ? Thanks a lot ! I would really appreciate any info on this matter.

birju · 09-06-2001, 07:29 PM

Hi,

I would also like to obtain info on how to renew the I-551 stamp. I am planning to visit the San Jose INS office for renewal.

Questions I have are:

- Do we have to carry any documents apart from PassPort and Driver's License for the renewal?
- Are there any renewal fees that we've to pay?
- Do we have to fill out any special forms for renewal?
- Are photographs requried for renewal as well? If so, what type?

It will be really helpful if anyone who has gone through the renewal process could shed some light on this.

Thanks.

takeitez · 09-25-2001, 02:25 AM

Hi all,

I too am in same boat. We did our CP from Mumbai and entered in Jan through SFO. I looked into INS website
and allthey talk about is renewal of I551 or replacement of the card issed for 10yrs. Nowhere I got any info on how do renew a I551 stamp in passport incase or delayed plastic card.

For renewal they need green card type photo, driver's lic and $110 fee.

I believe that in our case it should be No fee and just restamping in the passport with expiry date extention by another one year.

I am planning to travel and expect by Nov card should come to us.

Sharing of any thoughts willbe useful here.

Thanks.

abu lafya · 09-25-2001, 11:33 AM

What I heard from a co-worker who went for stamping in SJ few days ago, she said for renewal they told her just show up with original stamped passport with cancelled H1 visa.

takeitez · 09-28-2001, 04:44 PM

Thanks Abu for the bit of info. I too am expecting that we just need to show up at the INS with passport and get the stamp date extended. The
actual renewal of the card needs I90 with 110$ fee and photographs etc.

Once again if anybody knows any bits and pieces will be of great help.

Thanks.

**anilkapoor** · 10-04-2001, 08:48 PM

I did my renewal of the stamp today at San jose INS and its quite ok except the wait. Just take your passport and get a token number there and wait in line till your number is called. Go to the counter and get the renewed stamp. For a changes something is easy at INS.

Expect a 2-3hr wait. But it seems quite less crowded comapred to the stories I have heard from people who did their stamping for 485.

**Mihika** · 10-05-2001, 10:20 AM

For I-551 stamp renewal do I need to take the family with me or Can I just take their passports?

ttummala · 10-05-2001, 06:05 PM

Anil,

How early do we have to show up there for restamping? I have heard people
getting there around 2AM(true?) What docs you need to carry and is any
particular day better than the others?

Thanks a lot

**anilkapoor** · 10-08-2001, 12:41 AM

I had reached the SJ INS office at 10.15am and was out by 12.30 noon. With the dot com burst the crowd has reduced considerably. You don't need any docs. except the passport. Whoever owns the passport have to be present. So take the family.

There is no one day better than the other.