Temporary green card: am I allowed to enter the US?

[alexisc568]

Hello all,

I was granted my green card in February after 19 months! I was very happy and started planning my return to the US after two years. It is a marriage based green card.
I was only given a 6 months temporary visa to enter the country.

The issue came with the Covid-19 crisis: I was initially planning a return around May-June but had to wait.

Now the problem is that my temporary visa is expiring July 31st and I am not sure if I will be able to enter the country before that date, and I also don't know what the consequences of not entering the country on time could be.

Two questions:

- Will I be able to enter the country anytime before July 31st as I am spouse of a US citizen (as if my green cars was NOT temporary)?

- If not, is there any information about an extension of the expiry date of my temporary visa (so that I can simply postponed my return to a better time)?

I already emailed and called the US embassy and the same answer each time: "please check us.travel.gov", which is not helpful in my case. I am simply trying to understand my options for the past two months, please help!

Alex

[newacct]

You don't have a "green card". Green cards are only for permanent residents, and you do not become a permanent resident until you enter the US on your immigrant visa. You just have an immigrant visa, which can only be used to enter the US before its expiration date. Normally, if you fail to use your immigrant visa before it expires, there is no "extension", and you have to go through a new immigrant visa application at the consulate. But the current circumstances are different, and the consulates might allow a simplified process for extending unused immigrant visas, though there hasn't been any general announcement about this yet.

[alexisc568]

Thanks for your answer newacct. I agree with everything you say, it is correct I do not have the actual green card yet but need to enter the country first.
However it doesn't really help me figure out my options.
I am about to book a plane ticket to try to enter before my immigrant visa expires but it is very unsafe at the moment and no one at the embassy is able to guide me...

[R78]

Your two options are:
1. Enter before the visa expires
2. Apply for a new immigrant visa and get it stamped at the consulate. You cannot enter the US on an expired visa (airplanes will not let you board since these are temporary visas and they will be penalized

[alexisc568]

Thanks for your reply R78!

I booked a plane ticket before my temp visa expires, hopefully they let me in!

Thank you all for your help, I will post if I run into problems.