Do you really carry your GC around with you at all times?

[Lona.C. 16]

Hiya Lona - Yes - I got my GC and both our welcome letters on Saturday.

I'm hoping for my daughter's GC tomorrow, little nervous that it didn't arrive same day, but I'm sure it will arrive shortly.

I am really happy that I can file the AP away and happily travel to Canada at Easter and not have to worry about being stuck at the border when we cross back into the US.

We are heading to the SSN office as soon as my daughter receives hers so that she can get one and I can have the 'With work authorization' wording removed. Things have really come around in teh last couple weeks, feeling positive about getting on with life finally

hey udella yeahhhhhhhhh to cool first Congratulations , and hope your daughters will arrive today ,

( as I hope mine will arrive today too, man this is goin to be a looooooooooooong day as the mailman comes only around 3-4 o clock here ,)

but glad you got yours , yes it sure was a hell of a ride to get to this point but we as well as everyone else who has goten this far and even farther deserve to be congratulated at ,

[Carlawarla 1]

I carry mine around all the time in my wallet...just like I do with my credit cards and driver's license. They told me I'm supposed to. I don't know that identity fraud can happen anymore with a GC than a credit card. I don't have any qualms about losing it anymore than I have qualms about losing any of my I.D.

[JeanneVictoria 55]

Wael always carries his.

[TracyTN 237]

There was a thread about this just the other day. As a green card hold you are required by law to carry it with you at al times. If for some reason you are stopped and they ask your status and you don't have it with you, they can toss you in a holding cell until such time that *they* can confirm your status.

As Kez said, I'm not going to sit in a cell until someone can get hold of USCIS to confirm my status. And who knows if the locals wouldn't just leave you sit there to stew a while just because they can? Its easier to just carry the dang card with me. Its no different than needing to have my driver's license with me when I'm driving, or my security pass for work if you work somewhere that has security passes.

Exactly. And seeing as the info that comes with the green card tells you to carry it with you, I'm not sure why you wouldn't.

[Melyssa 0]

I carry mine....

I am not in a high risk area but others here where I live have been asked for it and one person who does not carry his was held for 6 hours while they checked with USCIS.....

I do not wish to see the inside of a detention cell while I wait for USCIS to confirm my status so its easy to carry it with me...

I do not keep it in my wallet I have a small card holder that contains my greencard and DL and credit cards....

Kez

Out of curiosity why was he asked about his status?

He was asked if he was a Citizen.... when he said no they asked for his greencard or passport.....

Kez

I get that, but what were the circumstances? I mean was he randomly walking on a sidewalk and they just asked? Or was he driving? Or what? Just curious... I guess I'm just doubtful that I would be randomly asked about my status for no reason.

[pushbrk 12,876]

There was a thread about this just the other day. As a green card hold you are required by law to carry it with you at al times. If for some reason you are stopped and they ask your status and you don't have it with you, they can toss you in a holding cell until such time that *they* can confirm your status.

As Kez said, I'm not going to sit in a cell until someone can get hold of USCIS to confirm my status. And who knows if the locals wouldn't just leave you sit there to stew a while just because they can? Its easier to just carry the dang card with me. Its no different than needing to have my driver's license with me when I'm driving, or my security pass for work if you work somewhere that has security passes.

Exactly. And seeing as the info that comes with the green card tells you to carry it with you, I'm not sure why you wouldn't.

Here's a different perspective. Take it for what you think it's worth.

My wife and daughter passed their interviews and were granted unconditional permanent resident status. Daughter's card arrived without errors but my wife's needs to be replaced. The card shows her as from Taiwan instead of mainland China. That process is going to take six months and if it weren't USCIS's error, it would carry a hefty fee. She's in the same boat now, she would be if she had the green card and didn't carry it. For the time being, both my wife and daughter have EAD cards with valid dates and State ID's that are valid, so my daughter carries the driver license and EAD card with her at all times and the green card is in the safe with the Passports. My wife's green card was sent back to USCIS, so the only difference is we simply don't have hers.

We're not willing to take the risk of losing a document so difficult to replace, when in their case, there's little risk of being caught up on an ICE raid. They'll carry the cards for international travel. YMMV.

[sj5 4]

yes, I carry mine all the time. I do have California Identification but still carrying my GC.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Well, it's settled, judging by everyone's opinion...they carry it, even though it seems kind of dumb.

I came up with the traffic ticket thing myself, I was just curious where it might be required or when it would occur.

I love how they are freaking paranoid about me carrying it, but ...uhm...How many illegal immigrants are there here? They obviously don't check often enough...that's my 2 cents

And that's a whole other ball of wax

[Jenn! 918]

My husband doesn't carry his.

[Melyssa 0]

I'm just curious what would happen now seeing as I don't even have my green card yet even though I'm an official resident. Apparently I could get thrown in jail for being stopped at the wrong time, asked my status, and being unable to prove it with the card... all because I don't have it yet.

I think the rule is silly but from reading these threads everyone's reasons make sense for why they do or don't carry theirs and I don't think those who made the decision not to are any less wise than those who made the decision to carry theirs... Not sure what I'll do when I get mine in the mail, but I still think it's impossible for anyone to carry it around 100% of the time.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I'm just gonna sew little pockets in my underwear That and my string bikini...nvrmind if it looks weird

[Melyssa 0]

I'm just gonna sew little pockets in my underwear That and my string bikini...nvrmind if it looks weird

LOL!

[Lona.C. 16]

LMAO Udella your a nut , ( you do that they will defenatly stop you at the beach for indeacent exposure ,lol )

LMAO Udella your a nut , ( you do that they will defenatly stop you at the beach for indeacent exposure ,lol )

OH Melissa the thing I carried around ( still do till I get the card in mail ) a copy of the last e mail they send with the aproval for AOS

[Peikko 1,575]

Don't carry it, and nor does my 9 year old. Can you imagine how often the darn thing would get lost if you let a kid carry it around? No thanks. I would prefer to spend a couple of hours in jail if I have to than have to carry yet another piece of identification around with me. I have a bloody driving licence which is meant to be a good legal identification card. Rules, rules, lots of rules.

[Melyssa 0]

Don't carry it, and nor does my 9 year old. Can you imagine how often the darn thing would get lost if you let a kid carry it around? No thanks. I would prefer to spend a couple of hours in jail if I have to than have to carry yet another piece of identification around with me. I have a bloody driving licence which is meant to be a good legal identification card. Rules, rules, lots of rules.

LOL! I don't think I'd want a young child to carry it around either... what a ridiculous rule.

LMAO Udella your a nut , ( you do that they will defenatly stop you at the beach for indeacent exposure ,lol )

LMAO Udella your a nut , ( you do that they will defenatly stop you at the beach for indeacent exposure ,lol )

OH Melissa the thing I carried around ( still do till I get the card in mail ) a copy of the last e mail they send with the aproval for AOS

Just got that letter today!