AP travel without Green Card

[Nick & Lily 0]

I wanted to ask my friends out there if they can shed some light on this question. After applying for AOS, but before the actual interview my wife received a card that was approval of advance parole and right to work. It is a picture ID and has her pertinent info on it. We had the interview for green card and all went well except that the vaccination record was not completed (missing check off in one box). I am going to civil surgeon today with the vaccination form to try and get approval. My question is can my wife travel back to Ukraine and get her children while we are still in this process. She has not seen them for almost 5 months and we want to bring them here in time for the holidays? I am under the impression she can now travel, but the interpreter at our interview told my wife she must wait for the green card before traveling. Can someone help clarify this for us? Your collective knowledge has help me on more than one occasion.

Thanks so much,

Nick and Lily

[meadowzephyr 26]

I wanted to ask my friends out there if they can shed some light on this question. After applying for AOS, but before the actual interview my wife received a card that was approval of advance parole and right to work. It is a picture ID and has her pertinent info on it. We had the interview for green card and all went well except that the vaccination record was not completed (missing check off in one box). I am going to civil surgeon today with the vaccination form to try and get approval. My question is can my wife travel back to Ukraine and get her children while we are still in this process. She has not seen them for almost 5 months and we want to bring them here in time for the holidays? I am under the impression she can now travel, but the interpreter at our interview told my wife she must wait for the green card before traveling. Can someone help clarify this for us? Your collective knowledge has help me on more than one occasion.

Thanks so much,

Nick and Lily

From USCIS website:

Advance Parole

Advance parole is issued solely to authorize the temporary parole of a person into the United States. The document may be accepted by a transportation company (airlines) instead of a visa as an authorization to travel to the United States.

An advance parole document does not replace your passport.

Advance parole is most commonly used when someone has Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or to Adjust Status, pending. If you depart the U.S. while your I-485 application is pending without first obtaining advance parole, your case will be denied unless you fit into a narrow exception for those maintaining certain nonimmigrant statuses.

[Little_My 464]

If she has the AP, she can travel. Even if the GC is issued while she is abroad, it will be fine. I left the day after my GC interview with my AP, received a card production notice on the GC two days after the interview, and returned with the AP when my GC had been issued and mailed, but I just didn't have it as I had been abroad when it was issued. I used the AP to re-enter, and that's it. Your wife will be paroled back in, not admitted as a permanent resident if she does not have the physical GC in her hands when she comes (assuming it was issued while she was gone), but it's not really a big issue.

[meadowzephyr 26]

I wanted to ask my friends out there if they can shed some light on this question. After applying for AOS, but before the actual interview my wife received a card that was approval of advance parole and right to work. It is a picture ID and has her pertinent info on it. We had the interview for green card and all went well except that the vaccination record was not completed (missing check off in one box). I am going to civil surgeon today with the vaccination form to try and get approval. My question is can my wife travel back to Ukraine and get her children while we are still in this process. She has not seen them for almost 5 months and we want to bring them here in time for the holidays? I am under the impression she can now travel, but the interpreter at our interview told my wife she must wait for the green card before traveling. Can someone help clarify this for us? Your collective knowledge has help me on more than one occasion.

Thanks so much,

Nick and Lily

This link might be helpful: http://www.visajourney.com/news/2011/02/18/uscis-to-issue-employment-authorization-and-advance-parole-card-for-adjustment-of-status-applicants/

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I wanted to ask my friends out there if they can shed some light on this question. After applying for AOS, but before the actual interview my wife received a card that was approval of advance parole and right to work. It is a picture ID and has her pertinent info on it. We had the interview for green card and all went well except that the vaccination record was not completed (missing check off in one box). I am going to civil surgeon today with the vaccination form to try and get approval. My question is can my wife travel back to Ukraine and get her children while we are still in this process. She has not seen them for almost 5 months and we want to bring them here in time for the holidays? I am under the impression she can now travel, but the interpreter at our interview told my wife she must wait for the green card before traveling. Can someone help clarify this for us? Your collective knowledge has help me on more than one occasion.

Thanks so much,

Nick and Lily

I am a bit confused. The card you describe seems like the EAD (employment authorization card) Does it specifically allow travel out side the US and re-entry? Alla's EAD says nothing about travel but she has a separate AP (Advanced Parole) document which looks like a letter with her photo at the bottom. Perhaps they have chnaged something but it was my understanding it is two documents. If the card specifically allows foreign travel you are OK, or if you have advance parole you are OK, otherwise, NO.

Now for the children. Do you have visa interviews for them yet? They ned a K-2 visa and that requires medcial exams and interviews and the whole process again. This is presuming they are Ukrainian citizens, yes? You cannot just "go and get them"

we have two sons that came on K-2s and I will be glad to help you but give me some more details about the children.

Oddly enough our EAD and AP arrived AFTER the green card so we still have them but they are no good anymore of course.

Edited November 6, 2011 by Gary and Alla

[Nick & Lily 0]

Thanks for the advise, and yes they have change the process recently. They (USCIS) now issue a "combo card", if you qualify for it by sending in all the required forms at the same time. Usually issuing the combo card for work and travel while the AOS is in process. The children both went through required medicals interviews etc. The eldest (17) has his own passport / visa and paperwork while the youngest (10) is on his mothers passport. We also have all the documents required from the father, so we are set I think. Her visa will expire about the time she returns from Zaporozhye (neighbors), but I believe the combo card will be the document which shows her legal status to return to U.S. Does that sound correct to you?

I am a bit confused. The card you describe seems like the EAD (employment authorization card) Does it specifically allow travel out side the US and re-entry? Alla's EAD says nothing about travel but she has a separate AP (Advanced Parole) document which looks like a letter with her photo at the bottom. Perhaps they have chnaged something but it was my understanding it is two documents. If the card specifically allows foreign travel you are OK, or if you have advance parole you are OK, otherwise, NO.

Now for the children. Do you have visa interviews for them yet? They ned a K-2 visa and that requires medcial exams and interviews and the whole process again. This is presuming they are Ukrainian citizens, yes? You cannot just "go and get them"

we have two sons that came on K-2s and I will be glad to help you but give me some more details about the children.

Oddly enough our EAD and AP arrived AFTER the green card so we still have them but they are no good anymore of course.