2 out of 4.

One of the things that bothers me a lot about the 'expired visa' issue is that the INS can be terrible.

Case in point. Me. I am still waiting for the removal of the conditional status on my permanent residence (green) card. My green card should have expired in June, and according to the date stamped on it, did. INS have bery strict requirements on the timing of my dealings with them, and I was only allowed to apply for the 'removal of conditional status' in the 90 days prior to expiry. Yet they don't reciprocate at all. I had to phone them when the card expired because I hadn't heard anything. They promised a letter, that never showed up. I phoned them again, and I then got a letter, that I have to use in conjunction with my expired green card to get back into the country.

Yes folks, that's right. When I return to the US after my Christmas visit to my parents, I will be using an epxired green card and a piece of paper to gain entry. Just how can that be good for security?

What makes this worse is that INS visas aren't cheap to apply for, and no one would accept such a level of service in the business world.

For the record, anyone entering the US on a permanent visa (eg fiance, marriage etc), is automatically fingerprinted. The FBI probably know more about me than my parents..