have my green card, benefits to my immediate family

[foreigner95 0]

Thank God i received my green card in the mail back in January, what are the effects on my immediate family backhome, what are the overall benefits of me having my green card? travel, my brother, my mother? can i travel overseas, do i travel with my passport, how do i enter backhome for a vacation, do i use my passport, even though it's expired? do i show my green card when i go backhome? when can i apply for my citizenship? what are the perks?

[LIFE'SJOURNEY 970]

READ http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=f1903a4107083210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=f1903a4107083210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

You may also wish to read Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants, a guide (in English and 10 other languages) containing practical information to help immigrants settle into everyday life in the United States, as well as basic civics information that introduces new immigrants to the U.S. system of government (see the links to the right). http://www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocuments/M-618.pdf

[v333k 59]

Thank God i received my green card in the mail back in January, what are the effects on my immediate family backhome, what are the overall benefits of me having my green card? travel, my brother, my mother? can i travel overseas, do i travel with my passport, how do i enter backhome for a vacation, do i use my passport, even though it's expired? do i show my green card when i go backhome? when can i apply for my citizenship? what are the perks?

Simply put, the green card allows you permanent residence in the United States. This means, as long as you maintain the permanent residency rules (continuous residence), you will have no problem and you will be able to always live in the US. You will also be able to work in the US without any restrictions (except for jobs that require US Citizenship). This normally doesn't affect your family but I am a bit rusty on the rules on whom you can apply AOS for...

Traveling to international destinations will still require a VALID passport. You need a valid passport to travel but entering back to the US will only require the GC. For other countries, you are a citizen of the country you show your passport from. So if let's say for example you are from France originally, anywhere you go you will be considered as a French citizen. The US Green card means nothing to other countries...

As for your US citizenship, you can apply based on a marriage to a USC after 3 years of becoming a LPR minus 90 days (eligibility rule). If you were married of obtained LPR through some other venue, then you will be able to apply after 5 years of becoming a LPR (minus 90 days).

[Anh map 2,098]

International travel requires a valid passport.

Your green card will allow you to re-enter the US if you do leave the country.

Read the two links that Life'sJourney posted. They should answer a lot of your questions.

[Krikit 1,164]

Moving this topic from Removing Conditions to General Immigration Discussion.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Thank God i received my green card in the mail back in January, what are the effects on my immediate family backhome, what are the overall benefits of me having my green card? travel, my brother, my mother? can i travel overseas, do i travel with my passport, how do i enter backhome for a vacation, do i use my passport, even though it's expired? do i show my green card when i go backhome? when can i apply for my citizenship? what are the perks?

You'll need a valid passport to get a boarding pass on any international flight. You also need a passport to enter most countries, including the US. Even US citizens now need a passport to enter the US (or a boarder crossing card, at some border checkpoints). Contact the consulate or embassy for your country to see about getting your passport renewed. You won't be traveling outside the US until you get this done. Your green card AND valid passport will permit you to reenter the US on your return, provided you don't leave for too long. If you're gone for more than 6 months then CBP can screen you for inadmissibilities, just like they did when you originally applied for your visa to come here. If you're gone for more than a year without having first gotten a reentry permit, they can presume you've abandoned your residency and revoke your green card. If you're gone for more than two years, even with a reentry permit, you'll probably lose your green card and be denied entry. Your green card is a permit to LIVE in the US, and you are obligated to actually LIVE here in order to keep it.

Your green card allows you to petition for immediate family members to come to the US as immigrants. However, unlike a US citizen whose spouse, children, and parents are immediately eligible to apply for a visa (after an approved petition), your family members will have to take a ticket and wait in line, probably for years. As an LPR, you can only petition for your spouse and unmarried children. You cannot petition for your parents or siblings. Only a US citizen can petition for their mother or brother.

If you are married to a US citizen, then you can apply for citizenship in 3 years. Otherwise, you can apply in 5 years. There are continuous residence requirements, and you have to declare information about every trip you've taken outside the US, so keep track of this information. Generally, you cannot have spent more than half the time (3 years or 5 years) outside of the US. If you spend more than a year outside the US then the continuous residence clock is reset, and you start over. In some cases, it can be reset after an absence of 6 months.

[foreigner95 0]

i have a question whether my conditional residency can go towards my 3-year citizenship requirement, i was married since 2007, got my conditional residency the same year and got my permanent residency in 2010, or do i have to wait for 3 years from the point when i got my green card, i do apologize i'm just trying to figure some things out

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

i have a question whether my conditional residency can go towards my 3-year citizenship requirement, i was married since 2007, got my conditional residency the same year and got my permanent residency in 2010, or do i have to wait for 3 years from the point when i got my green card, i do apologize i'm just trying to figure some things out

The time you spent as a conditional resident DOES count towards eligibility to apply for citizenship. The only differences between conditional and unconditional residence is the term of validity (2 years vs. 10 years), and a conditional resident's status is based on the "condition" that they remain married to the US citizen that petitioned for them. You have successfully removed that condition from your resident status. As long as you meet the continuous residence requirement, you should be eligible to apply for US citizenship within a year.

By the way, I made a mistake in my earlier post. You need a passport to get a boarding pass to leave the US, and also need a passport to enter most countries, but are not required to have one to return to the US if you've got a valid green card.

[Bobby+Umit 161]

The time you spent as a conditional resident DOES count towards eligibility to apply for citizenship. The only differences between conditional and unconditional residence is the term of validity (2 years vs. 10 years), and a conditional resident's status is based on the "condition" that they remain married to the US citizen that petitioned for them. You have successfully removed that condition from your resident status. As long as you meet the continuous residence requirement, you should be eligible to apply for US citizenship within a year.

By the way, I made a mistake in my earlier post. You need a passport to get a boarding pass to leave the US, and also need a passport to enter most countries, but are not required to have one to return to the US if you've got a valid green card.

Jim - you didn't make a mistake.

Some airlines may require you to have a passport, even if you have a green card, if your flying to the US.

(I suppose they are not sure of the rules and do not wish to gamble with the fines for sending people to the US without proper docs).

Even CBP suggests you carry your valid passport.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Jim - you didn't make a mistake.

Some airlines may require you to have a passport, even if you have a green card, if your flying to the US.

(I suppose they are not sure of the rules and do not wish to gamble with the fines for sending people to the US without proper docs).

Even CBP suggests you carry your valid passport.

Understood, but CBP only specifically requires a valid entry pass. This can be a US passport, a foreign passport with a valid US visa, a border crossing card, or a green card. I implied in my first post that CBP absolutely would not permit you to enter with a green card alone, and I was incorrect. I just wanted to correct that mistake.

[foreigner95 0]

so technically i can apply for my citizenship already since i originally got my conditional permanent resident card in june of 07...so can i?

[milimelo 4,477]

so technically i can apply for my citizenship already since i originally got my conditional permanent resident card in june of 07...so can i?

Date of permanent residency granted plus three years minus 90 days is the earliest you can apply for citizenship. Should've been sometime in March 2010 for you.