Seek Advice about Filing I-90 at U.S. Embassy (Resident Alien Card Renewal)

Hi guys.
My U.S. Resident Alien card expires in 6 months (i unfortunately have the expiring , 10 year green card ) and i took my first trip to the U.S. embassy today..what a disaster!!
The security wraps around the entire block and we got turned away by a very rude security worker . Anyway we came home and called the embassy only to be informed that we have to call an 09...number that will cost us £1.35 a minute!! Is this business as usual for American Embassy these days

Just shocked that we (went with hubby who is a US citizen ) couldn't even get close to the front gates of the embassy let alone talk to anyone.
Anyway, i am not too thrilled at the prospect of spending £10-15 trying to call the embassy to find out if we could file the I-90 form at the embassy.

I have been to countless US embassy's around the world but never have i encountered such frosty reception before..not to mention costly 09..number phone call to get the basic info.

If anyone can shed some constructive light into this  issue (obviously, the point being i dint want to pay for the expensive phone call ) like another way of contacting the appropriate department at the embassy with a " NON 09 number " or just basic advice about filing the I-90 form here in the UK i would greatly appreciate it .

Cheers
Zufan

Okay, this is my completely lay-person non-immigration expert opinion- just my thoughts on the subject from having been a US permanent resident for 13 years and going through I-90 hell and back (guess who still hasn't received her renewed green card that she filed for 3.5 years ago?  But haha, I don't care because I'm a citizen now- take that USCIS!)

Are you planning on staying in the UK permanently, or do you want to go back before your two years are up? (Since you can only be out of the country for one year [or two years if you've got a re-entry permit] before losing your residency.)  If you do plan on moving back and your green card just happens to be expiring, that's quite a sticky situation and I have no idea how you'd go about filing an I-90.  (Also, even if your GC expires, your status doesn't expire with it- you're still a PR, you just don't have any *proof* that you are.)

However, if you plan on staying in the UK for longer than 2 years, it doesn't really matter if you manage to renew your green card or not.  Sooner or later on a trip back to the US, the immigration officer is going to notice that most of your time is spent out of the country and will ask you about it, and once ascertaining that you've moved to the UK he/she will take away your green card because you're not entitled to one anymore.

There is an exception to this rule (especially when pertaining to eligibility for naturalization) but that has to do with say, a permanent resident getting transferred to a different country by his/her American company, serving in the military overseas, or something of that nature.  Of course, I've no idea if that is your situation, but I'm just telling you what I know.

If you do end up losing your residency and want to move back to the US one day, there is a little-known returning residents visa you can get (the info's on the Department of State's website, not the USCIS.)

Thanks for the prompt reply and insights Rose..

Well yes i would obviously want to hold on to my green card for as long as possible. Hubby and i are still not sure if our move to London is a permanant one...we have been here one year but i just went back to the states a month ago and the immigration officer did not even ask to see my re-entry permit which i made sure to get, before i moved here .In any case the main issue for us right now is wether or not the US embassy will techincally process our I-90 renewal here as opposed to doing it in the States. I read somewhere that it could take up to a year...but i guess we should expect it to take longer...as in your case eh ?

I wonder what happens if you process the I-90 here at the embassy but decide to return to the States before you successfully receive your re-newed green card ? I guess you submit a change of address...i can just imagine that might be a horror story waiting to happen..

Did you file your I-90 with the embassy here ?

regards
Zu

Well, I'm not over to the UK yet, so my I-90 was filed with my local office in the US (that process has changed considerably since 2002, though.)  I'm sure there's a way to do it in the UK- they must have some provision for PR's who vacation abroad and lose their green card somehow...or maybe they just give those folks a temporary stamp at the embassy and then tell them to file an I-90 once they get back to the US.   Renewing your GC is only supposed to take a few months, and most of the time it does- my family all renewed at the same time and I'm the only one who didn't get a green card within about 6 months.  (Maybe my application fell through the cracks during the post 9/11 2002/2003 INS/USCIS shuffling?)  Sorry I don't have more info, though- hope you can get this figured out soon!

Yea..the problem is the UK embassy phone number (09 number ) costs £1.35 per minute..and if they leave you hangin..that could amount to a small fortune in bills.
I just realized that i could call the States for the same information  (for next to nothing) and find out wether or not i am able to file in UK.
Will keep you posted..
Cheers
Zufan

Sad that you have to make an international call to avoid spending too much money!

Its a heck of a lot cheaper to call mainland US than it is to call "my local embassy " .

With 500 U.S. minutes on my £3.00 phone card...you can see why i am reluctant to waste money calling the embassy here.

Which reminds me...i have about an hour before they close shop..tata!