Resident Alien travelling to Canada without Green Card

[imran k. 0]

My wife just landed in the US as a Resident Alien. It seems like it takes 3-5 weeks before they mail out the Green card.

Her reletives lives in Canada and she wants to visit them with me. Can she travel to Canada before he receives his Green Card?? Can she provide her passport with the resident alien visa entry as proof?

[Dakine 26]

My wife just landed in the US as a Resident Alien. It seems like it takes 3-5 weeks before they mail out the Green card.

Her reletives lives in Canada and she wants to visit them with me. Can she travel to Canada before he receives his Green Card?? Can she provide her passport with the resident alien visa entry as proof?

What kind of visa did she come on?

[HeatDeath 430]

If she has an I-551 stamp in her passport (which she might have received at PoE if she entered on an IR/CR-1 spousal visa), that is a green card, for all intents and purposes.

If she has that stamp, a GC, or an advance parole document, she will be able to reenter the US. Otherwise they won't let her back in. Make sure she has one of those before she leaves.

Also, depending on which country she is from, she may need a Canadian visa, unless she has an I-551 stamp or GC. Canadian border officers will let anyone in who has a US GC or I-551 stamp, but without proof of US permanent residence, many countries' citizens need visas to enter Canada.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Moved from Removal of Conditions Forum to working & Travelling During US Immigration Forum as the more appropriate location for this topic.

______________________________

Moderator hat off . . .

As long as your wife has the I-551 stamp in her passport she will be able to enter Canada and leave the US regardless of her own citizenship. The I-551 stamp is proof of Permanent Residence status in the US - the 'green card' is just a more convenient way of carrying proof of her status. Canada allows US citizens and US Permanent Residents to enter Canada without visas, but they do require proof of their US citizenship/PR status. To re-enter the US, she will again use her passport with the I-551 stamp and you will need to have a US passport or one of the other recognized border crossing documents (eg enhanced DL, passport card, etc.). A birth certificate isn't sufficient anymore since the full implementation of the WHTI (Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative).

Have a good visit.