I-551 stamp and travel abroad

[Erthwhile 0]

Hi people,

I have my I-551 stamp and I my green card in hand. I was wandering: if I wanna go abroad - let's say to Canada - for a week-end, can I just bring my passport with the I-551 stamp on it and leave home my GC (at least until the I-551 is valid)? I am very clumsy and I am really afraid to lose my GC, hence I was wandering whether just the passport with the visa will do it.

thanks!!

[inloveVEN 46]

Hi

your concern is to cross to Canada or re-entry to USA?

In crossing to Canada case you can enter showing just your I-551 stamped at your passport but it is not necessarily valid to enter to another country. Each countries has its own rules and those rules apply to you based on your passport nationality

it could be useful, to check in consular pages for the specific country where you want to travel

and you can re-enter in USA with your I-551 stamped

good luck

[Saddle Bronc 124]

To Canada, such a visit is OK--Canuck border-officials have seen bulker-loads of I-551 stamps, and GC holders do not need visas (as of now--and not reciprocated) to go to Canada.

To travel to other countries, lots of caution--best approach is to assume that the country does not recognise the I-551 stamp and then get the visa (if required) for that county ("better safe than sorry").

[Erthwhile 0]

To Canada, such a visit is OK--Canuck border-officials have seen bulker-loads of I-551 stamps, and GC holders do not need visas (as of now--and not reciprocated) to go to Canada.

To travel to other countries, lots of caution--best approach is to assume that the country does not recognise the I-551 stamp and then get the visa (if required) for that county ("better safe than sorry").

Thanks people! I may go to India in December and of course I will get a visa for that. But it's nice to know that coming back to the US the stamp will suffice! No hassle and no worry of losing my GC!!!

[midge and isi 8]

- Continuing on this. If the person is from a country (Ghana) and they don't have their green card yet, but have advance parole can they go to Canada without a visa?

Has anyone done this?

Thanks

[Saddle Bronc 124]

- Continuing on this. If the person is from a country (Ghana) and they don't have their green card yet, but have advance parole can they go to Canada without a visa?

Depends on the country. If it is one where no visitor visa is needed to Canada (UK, France, Germany, ...) then good-to-go. But if it is from a country where "ordinary" visitor to Canada would need visa (Ghana last-I-checked falls here--until 1980's it didn't), then you still do.

Has anyone done this?

Thanks

I emailed the Penn-Av Embassy with your question in 2006 (along with another factor--the AP holder being married to a dual-citizen of Canada which I was 1982-2008)--the above was posted from their response (they didn't answer the second part of my question though).

[midge and isi 8]

I tried emailing them but got no real answer- i will try to call them again....

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I tried emailing them but got no real answer- i will try to call them again....

Until you actually have your GC (plastic or I-551 stamp--Canadian officials are quite familiar with these, more so than Europeans) in hand, you do need a visa. The "Commonwealth Exemption" (where citizens of Commonwealth countries could visit Canada without visa, and Canadians could visit other Commonwealth countries similarly) has been devoid since 1984.

AP document is treated much like a temporary (student, H-1b/H-4, TN-2/TD-2****) held by non-Canadian, non-American citizen.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp

****Nafta visas issued to Mexican citizens (and corresponding dependent).