Must she carry her green card daily?

[TBoneTX 44,672]

My God, the fear mongering by a few is just ridiculous.

It's called "hope for the best, prepare for the worst." May your wife never be detained and have to report the reason as "failure to carry green card" on future immigration documents.

As for me, I plan to continue to look both ways before crossing the street, even if there's only a small chance that traffic is around. We're taught that when we're 5 years old.

[Matt & Bing 56]

Serious questions: What are people here on K-1 visas supposed to carry with them at all times before they have a green card? How about people here on student or work visas?

How about natural born US citizens? Should they carry a birth certificate at all times?

[DrVS 10]

Serious questions: What are people here on K-1 visas supposed to carry with them at all times before they have a green card? How about people here on student or work visas?

Are you serious? Whatever status you have, you always have proof of that. For F-1 student that would be I-20 and I-94.

How about natural born US citizens? Should they carry a birth certificate at all times?

US citizens, natural born or naturalized, however, do not have to carry anything by law. They can just say that they are citizens. That's why saying that you are a citizen while you are not is the worst inexcusable immigration crime you can commit.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Serious questions: What are people here on K-1 visas supposed to carry with them at all times before they have a green card? How about people here on student or work visas?

How about natural born US citizens? Should they carry a birth certificate at all times?

K-1s are supposed to carry their passport, I-94

Alla carries a copy of her green card and keeps the original at home. It can be produced if needed. The law requires all aliens over age 18 to carry their green card with them at all times. This is not enforced in some areas, Vermont is one of them, and we do not want to pay for a lost card. No one here has ever asked for her green card and never shown an interest in it if it was offered except for going to or coming back from Canada. We do not have much if an illegal alien problem here

I have a Vermont "enhanced drivers lisence" which serves to verify my citizenship and I can use it to enter Canada and return which I seem to do a couple times each week.

[JeremyR 8]

Glad I saw this thread ... Its convinced me to remove the green card from my wife's wallet and keep it somewhere safe. My God, the fear mongering by a few is just ridiculous.

I'll just leave this here.

(A recently documented case on VJ where somebody got held by CBP in New Mexico for not having their green card on their person and who is now facing the awkwardness of having to check 'yes' to the "have you ever been arrested, detained......." question on their I-751)

[myperfectflaw 11]

In my opinion it has nothing to do with fear mongering and everything to do with not intentionally breaking the law. We know the law says my husband has to carry his at all times so he does. I would much rather have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it.

I have only personally lost my wallet once in my 31 years, and I was lucky enough that it was returned to me in the same state it was lost in, money and cards in tact. My husband has never had his wallet lost or stolen in his 31 years. Does that mean we're immune to it happening? Of course not. But 31 years is long enough in my opinion to feel that it's a highly unlikely situation for us to worry about. So, we hope that our luck continues to hold out and we follow the law. $450 is a lot of money, but in our opinion it's a small amount to worry about compared to having to check misdemeanor on any future forms my husband has to fill out. Better safe than sorry!

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I'll just leave this here.

(A recently documented case on VJ where somebody got held by CBP in New Mexico for not having their green card on their person and who is now facing the awkwardness of having to check 'yes' to the "have you ever been arrested, detained......." question on their I-751)

awkwardness? it's like ticking yes when having a speeding fine. It's not something that will get them deported. So not the drama you're making it out to be.

That said, a lot of people have already said when too far from home take it. When close to borders, take it. When leaving the country, take it. The person you quoted travelled interstate without their GC, even I, as someone who doesn't carry it, would take it if travelling interstate or too far from home (we drove 4 hours away and I took it, didn't want to as it was to a themepark and loss is high in places like that but I still took it because getting it from home would have taken too long).

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

In my opinion it has nothing to do with fear mongering and everything to do with not intentionally breaking the law. We know the law says my husband has to carry his at all times so he does.

I like your attitude and wish more people here on VJ would follow the law by the letter. I used to carry my Green Card with me "at all times" as the law requires. When going to the beach I had it dangling on a chain around my neck and that really got me the looks from the Hispanic community, like showing off. I didn't care. More complicated was wearing it in the shower, but again I had it dangling around my neck, but that was nothing compared to having sex. Here the card was smashing in my wife's face when I was on top, but the other place to put it would really be in the only body cavity I could use when not talking or moaning, but hat would make some kind of sex impossible or rather painful. So, again, I'm glad you have found a solution to carry the Green Card "at all times." Have you ever had surgery with the card dangling around your neck, by the way?

[TBoneTX 44,672]

I like your attitude and wish more people here on VJ would follow the law by the letter.

Bob, this is neither funny nor responsible. If people follow the damned law, they avoid risking trouble. Period. Just wait until someone else reports having been detained by very humorless CBP/ICE agents because they took the damned law as casually as you recommend that they do. You normally give great and very entertaining answers, but this one is a total crock.

[Matt & Bing 56]

I like your attitude and wish more people here on VJ would follow the law by the letter. I used to carry my Green Card with me "at all times" as the law requires. When going to the beach I had it dangling on a chain around my neck and that really got me the looks from the Hispanic community, like showing off. I didn't care. More complicated was wearing it in the shower, but again I had it dangling around my neck, but that was nothing compared to having sex. Here the card was smashing in my wife's face when I was on top, but the other place to put it would really be in the only body cavity I could use when not talking or moaning, but hat would make some kind of sex impossible or rather painful. So, again, I'm glad you have found a solution to carry the Green Card "at all times." Have you ever had surgery with the card dangling around your neck, by the way?

+1

[Matt & Bing 56]

I'll just leave this here.

(A recently documented case on VJ where somebody got held by CBP in New Mexico for not having their green card on their person and who is now facing the awkwardness of having to check 'yes' to the "have you ever been arrested, detained......." question on their I-751)

Don't live in Texas or anywhere near the Mexico border. Seriously, there is -0- chance of a federal agent walking up to my filipino wife and ssking her for her green card.

[The Humanists 10]

I know this is an old thread and all, but I have just received my green card and been wondering whether to take it with me everywhere or leave it inside our apartment and keep a copy in my wallet. Based on what I've read in this thread, I think I'm going to keep my green card in a safe place, even though I'm legally required to have it with me at all times. The $450 replacement cost made the decision very easy to make! Plus, this is San Francisco. It doesn't seem to be a place where immigrants are pulled over on the street and asked for proof of legal status.

[Matt & Bing 56]

I know this is an old thread and all, but I have just received my green card and been wondering whether to take it with me everywhere or leave it inside our apartment and keep a copy in my wallet. Based on what I've read in this thread, I think I'm going to keep my green card in a safe place, even though I'm legally required to have it with me at all times. The $450 replacement cost made the decision very easy to make! Plus, this is San Francisco. It doesn't seem to be a place where immigrants are pulled over on the street and asked for proof of legal status.

[F & J 21]

That little paper envelope is supposed to stop hacker access? Really?

I doubt it. The little envelope that came with my green card was just a regular Tyvek envelope with no obvious RFID blocker (the same kind I use for credit and debit cards to prevent scratches or damage to the magnetic strip)... I'm not sure though (I didn't take it apart) - I'm actually using the little envelope because unlike regular Tyvek sleeves, it actually protects the whole card because the opening is on top and not at the side with a thumb cutout which exposes part of the card.