New passport for recent immigrant

[ryna 132]

I wasn't sure where to post this but this seemed as good a place as any. Here's the background...

While travelling domestically with my wife who arrived on a K-1 visa, the TSA pulled her aside to inspect her passport (ID) more closely. Honestly, the agent was very nice, and it wasn't a huge deal. They were not looking at any immigration-related issues but it freaked her out a bit because she doesn't speak English yet and didn't understand what was going on. The problem was that her Colombian passport is an old-style passport - no fancy security features (hologram, etc), non-machine readable and the picture is raised above the data page and laminated on.. In other words, it doesn't look modern... The TSA literally put it under the microscope to verify that it hadn't been altered. Colombia now has a modern, machine-readable, security enhanced passport that I am sure would draw less scrutiny and she will need one within the next 4 yrs as the current ones will be invalidated (I think.)

As we plan on travelling around the U.S. (by air) over the next several months before her AOS is completed, is it possible for her to go ahead and obtain her new-style Colombian passport at the consulate and use that for her domestic air travel ID? Will there be any immigration implications if her I-94 and U.S. entry stamp remain in her original passport? She would carry both, obviously, for immigration related purposes until the Green Card arrives.

Does anyone know if having two (foreign) passports could cause any problems?

[YuAndDan 153]

If Columbia will renew with that much time left on current one then perhaps renew now, however many countries wont renew unless there is less than perhaps 6 months left on the passport.

As for I-94, simply remove it from old passport and keep it in a safe place, and attach to new passport when it arrives, as for old passport, it is the norm for it to be returned to you with a corner or hole punched in it, along with the new one.

[YuAndDan 153]

This wont be an issue after getting green-card, can use Green-card as ID for traveling domestically.

[ryna 132]

If Columbia will renew with that much time left on current one then perhaps renew now, however many countries wont renew unless there is less than perhaps 6 months left on the passport.

As for I-94, simply remove it from old passport and keep it in a safe place, and attach to new passport when it arrives, as for old passport, it is the norm for it to be returned to you with a corner or hole punched in it, along with the new one.

Thanks. I don't know if/when Colombia will renew but I did see firsthand some signs down there that indicated that no matter the expiration date, a new-style passport will be required by 2015. The extra TSA scrutiny this past weekend got me to thinking it may be worth it to change her passport next month when we will be near a Colombian consulate (if it's possible).

I just didn't want to step outside any U.S. immigration laws/regulations by changing passports pre-Green Card arrival. There are enough issues/hassles with this process even when you do play by their rules and we don't want to create any new ones!