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

[Cassie 8]

given the political climate here in Oklahoma, and all their new fancy laws r/t immigrants, I don't dare drive around without my stuff.

[Delilah'sMan 0]

I can't say I know much about this, but if you're an adult and it says on the card that you're meant to carry it around, then do it. I had my passport with me the entire time I was in the US, and that's more bulky and annoying, plus my wallet and another small zip-lock bag with a lot of money in it. (I didn't want to leave that at the hotel)

It's really not that difficult, unless your pockets are freakishly shallow and loose?

I haven't even got my K-1 yet, but when it comes time for me to get a GC, I sure as hell will be keeping it on me whenever I'm out.

[Reba 2]

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.

When I had my AOS interview and she passed me, she took my EAD card from me, as they are supposed to do apparently. I got a stamp in my passport to tide me over until my green card was received.

[Elmira 1]

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

I am sorry ... but I am living 5 months here and nobody asked me about my status... even when we opened a joint bank account with my husband.. I showed my US Driving license and dictated my SSN... and I don't plan to carry GC with me as it is a very important document you want to lose... I probably will carry a photocopy, but not the original... it is like if you are an US citizen you need to carry your US passport everywhere with you.... everywhere where people ask me to show my ID (such a liquor store, night clubs, bank (as identification), airport) I show my US Driving license... and believe nobody asked me about my immigration status... I will show my GC only when I will apply for job and travelling overseas....

[Elmira 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.

I am sorry, but GC will cost you about $400 + time waiting... and ID/Driving license- 1 days and $20...

[Kez/JWolf 6]

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

I am sorry ... but I am living 5 months here and nobody asked me about my status... even when we opened a joint bank account with my husband.. I showed my US Driving license and dictated my SSN... and I don't plan to carry GC with me as it is a very important document you want to lose... I probably will carry a photocopy, but not the original... it is like if you are an US citizen you need to carry your US passport everywhere with you.... everywhere where people ask me to show my ID (such a liquor store, night clubs, bank (as identification), airport) I show my US Driving license... and believe nobody asked me about my immigration status... I will show my GC only when I will apply for job and travelling overseas....

So you have not even got your Greencard yet but you have already decided that you will happly break one of the conditions of being a LPR.... good start IMO...

Before I had my Greencard I carried my UK passport around with me... that is an important document and cost $$$ to get replaced... but I am required to carry my Greencard so I do....

Kez

[Elmira 1]

So you have not even got your Greencard yet but you have already decided that you will happly break one of the conditions of being a LPR.... good start IMO...

Before I had my Greencard I carried my UK passport around with me... that is an important document and cost $$$ to get replaced... but I am required to carry my Greencard so I do....

Kez

I never carry my Kazakh passport which believe me is more dificult to replace than British.. as I used to work in British Embassy in my home country... I am sorry but it is my opinion.. and believe me it is better to lose a certified copy of GC than an original one... and anyway it is only my opinion

[eau_xplain 2]

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.

The law that requires an LPR to carry their GC on them at all times only applies to those who are 18 years old and older.

My son is 16, but he can already drive on his own. When he starts going out on longer drives (right now he only drives home to school and around the neighborhood), I will have him take responsibility for his green card. I'd rather pay the $400 for a lost GC than have my child endure the trauma of being stopped and asked for immigration status and not being able to prove it. Here in NC, law enforcement offices in some counties are already deputized by ICE and can now, legally, ask for proof of immigration status at a traffic stop.

[Jenn! 918]

I think some people just need to understand that others see not carrying their GC as a risk worth taking. If you carry your GC, then great! But I don't understand why one would be upset by the fact that others do not.

[Kez/JWolf 6]

So you have not even got your Greencard yet but you have already decided that you will happly break one of the conditions of being a LPR.... good start IMO...

Before I had my Greencard I carried my UK passport around with me... that is an important document and cost $$$ to get replaced... but I am required to carry my Greencard so I do....

Kez

I never carry my Kazakh passport which believe me is more dificult to replace than British.. as I used to work in British Embassy in my home country... I am sorry but it is my opinion.. and believe me it is better to lose a certified copy of GC than an original one... and anyway it is only my opinion

Of course its your choice to break the laws here in the US....

Please explain what a certified copy of a Greencard is, because as far as I am aware there is no such thing.... But I could be wrong, I am sure the law state "Your Actual Greencard"

Kez

[Elmira 1]

I think some people just need to understand that others see not carrying their GC as a risk worth taking. If you carry your GC, then great! But I don't understand why one would be upset by the fact that others do not.

Exactly!!!.. This is my own responsibility... I have many friends here with Green cards.. and none of them carry GC.. and they never had problems... they explained me that it is like SSN.. and by the way they have never been asked to carry it as ID during their interview... they have been told at DMV as well that if DMV issued a Driving License it means that this person already has been checked and his is legal here.. no one DMV will issue a Driving license without a proper immigration status... and anyway.. this is my choice..

[Elmira 1]

Of course its your choice to break the laws here in the US....

Please explain what a certified copy of a Greencard is, because as far as I am aware there is no such thing.... But I could be wrong, I am sure the law state "Your Actual Greencard"

Kez

You make a photocopy and take to notarize it at any law firm… and second if you an US citizen- how you going to prove your US citizenship?- carrying your US passport everywhere??? My husband never has been asked within USA to bring his passport as a prove of citizenship.. we sent it only to UCSIC with I-129F.. and it was only one case…

[TracyTN 237]

I believe most DMVs populate the driver's record with their citizenship status. So it should be easy for a cop to ascertain that when they run your license.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Of course its your choice to break the laws here in the US....

Please explain what a certified copy of a Greencard is, because as far as I am aware there is no such thing.... But I could be wrong, I am sure the law state "Your Actual Greencard"

Kez

You make a photocopy and take to notarize it at any law firm… and second if you an US citizen- how you going to prove your US citizenship?- carrying your US passport everywhere??? My husband never has been asked within USA to bring his passport as a prove of citizenship.. we sent it only to UCSIC with I-129F.. and it was only one case…

This is one of the benefits (at least for the time being!) of being a USC: you do not normally need to prove you are here legally if you can declare you are a USC. Of course, declaring yourself a USC if you are not is one of the biggest no-no's out there. USC's don't need to carry identity papers because we are who we say we are in the eyes of the law.

Remember that as a permanent resident you are essentially suffered to be here by the state -- your residency can be revoked and you can be deported. USC's obviously don't have to worry about that. I agree that it is ultimately up to the GC holder to make the decision to obey the law or not in carrying it on their person -- we're all adults here, and we live with the consequences of our decisions. But my husband has decided it is not worth the risk of pizzing off Uncle Sam by not carrying it on him. Until he is a USC that card will be in his wallet, in its little paper sleeve.

Also, I have to go with Kez on this one: just because you have a notarised copy of your green card on you doesn't mean that you can definitively prove you are here legally. Who's to say that you haven't abandoned your GC, then re-entered illegally some time later (as an example)? The notarised copy is, ultimately, only a photocopy that has been attested as a true copy at the moment it was notarised. I think if push came to shove, you might be hard pressed to find a police officer who would accept a photocopy as proof you are a permanent resident.

I don't mean to come across as self-righteous here, and I really do believe that it's your decision to make. But if all it takes to cover your azz is to carry the GC, why not?

[Kez/JWolf 6]

Of course its your choice to break the laws here in the US....

Please explain what a certified copy of a Greencard is, because as far as I am aware there is no such thing.... But I could be wrong, I am sure the law state "Your Actual Greencard"

Kez

You make a photocopy and take to notarize it at any law firm… and second if you an US citizen- how you going to prove your US citizenship?- carrying your US passport everywhere??? My husband never has been asked within USA to bring his passport as a prove of citizenship.. we sent it only to UCSIC with I-129F.. and it was only one case…

Having something Notarized only confirms that the person signing whatever is that person.... it does not prove that the content, (in this case A Greencard) is true or Genuine... so no having it Notarized is not a Certified Copy.... But as I said before it up to you whether you comply with the requirements of being a LPR or not....

Kez