2 questions after recieving my gc

[nane1104 146]

I just got my 10 year greencard today which came with a foil lined sleeve and I am curious:

What the heck does "We recommend use of this envelope to protect your new card and to prevent wireless communication with it." mean??? I understand the protecting the card concept, but wireless communication!?!?

I also was wondering...if I travel back to the US from being outside the country- what line at the airport do I go through? The situation would most likely be that my US husband, our dual citizen son and me are travelling together.

Can we all go through the US citizen line, do I go through the "visitors" line alone? Can we go together, since we will have one customs form?

How does it work if I travel by myself?

I can probably google this but I thought I'd ask here where people are actually knowing from their own experience...

I never used my conditional greencard for travelling purposes, since we left the US right after I got it and I haben't been back ever since (out of country with military orders).

Thanks!!

[Deep2009 18]

I just got my 10 year greencard today which came with a foil lined sleeve and I am curious:

What the heck does "We recommend use of this envelope to protect your new card and to prevent wireless communication with it." mean??? I understand the protecting the card concept, but wireless communication!?!?

I also was wondering...if I travel back to the US from being outside the country- what line at the airport do I go through? The situation would most likely be that my US husband, our dual citizen son and me are travelling together.

Can we all go through the US citizen line, do I go through the "visitors" line alone? Can we go together, since we will have one customs form?

How does it work if I travel by myself?

I can probably google this but I thought I'd ask here where people are actually knowing from their own experience...

I never used my conditional greencard for travelling purposes, since we left the US right after I got it and I haben't been back ever since (out of country with military orders).

Thanks!!

Here is this -

This is a new card, there must be chip in it that can be used for coming in US. The reason for it to protect the card.

For coming in US, you have to use "green card or permanent resident (if available at airport)" line at airport. your family will use US citizen line for coming in US. (You can ask the person directing the line at US airport, they can allow you to go with your family)

For going in Germany, you will use Germany citizen line

But you family will use visitor line in Germany.

Edited July 2, 2010 by Deep2009

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

I just got my 10 year greencard today which came with a foil lined sleeve and I am curious:

What the heck does "We recommend use of this envelope to protect your new card and to prevent wireless communication with it." mean??? I understand the protecting the card concept, but wireless communication!?!?

The card has an RFID chip embedded in it. Any RFID scanner within range (several feet, at least) could conceivably be used to retrieve information from the card - a process called "skimming". This information could potentially be misused. Theoretically, keeping the card inside the foil pouch will reduce the effective range to inches, making it much less likely the card could be read by unscrupulous people.

In case you're interested, the RFID chip contains the same information that is already printed on the outside of your card, so someone scanning the card is not going to get any "secrets" about you that they couldn't get simply by looking at your card. The RFID chip is an added level of security to confirm that the card hasn't been tampered with, and to make it more difficult to make counterfeit cards.

If you're concerned, there are better quality sleeves you can purchase that will reduce the effective range of the RFID chip to near zero. These are available for just about any object containing an RFID chip, including passports, government issued ID cards, and credit/debit cards.

[Terry Martin 1]

I could not have said it better myself. While this threat is a very small one, it is also pretty realistic. For your own sake, I would recommend either using the government issued foil sleeve or upgrading to a more secure one. Best of luck and congratulations on the ten year green card!

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

Congratulations!

My policy is to use the line that is assigned to me. If in doubt, I go one step down instead of up.

If the line says "US Citizens and Permanent Residents," that's my line.

If it only says "US Citizens," it's not my line as I am not a USC (yet) and would not want to pretend to be one.

Parties traveling together stay together, so my USC wife and I go into the same line: " "mine."

[nane1104 146]

JustBob- as always, your reply makes a lot of sense. Thank you very much.

I am using the little envelope that came with the card. If I ever see one of these fancy ones, I will consider buying it.

Todays technology is sometimes to much for me..;-)

Thanks for all the replies, I appreciate your information!