travelling with AP

[k1spain 0]

I also used the AP once through JFK. Everything went fine.

It surprised me that the lady from the airline in Spain knew about it that well!! She even explained me that they have to know because US makes the airlines pay a fine if they carry any passenger without the right documentation.

[WifeOHunkyJohn 2]

Home sweet home

Ok so vacation time is over and now jetlag and reality are setting in, but I thought I would update everyone on how easy and painless it was to use the Advance Parole to travel.

First up, the airline asked to see it to issue the boarding cards for the US leg of our return journey but they didn't require copies or anything. The girl actually typed our home address into the system befor giving us the boarding cards, and all was fine. No further requirements for it till we touched down in LAX last night and went through immigration. We had a lovely immigratioin officer who actually knew what the AP was, and knew that the system was time-consuming and sometimes hard as he has a foreign-born bride (from Mexico). He directed us over to secondary processing and there were a few other people waiting, and after 30 minutes, the second immigration inspector filled in his end of the paperwork, stamped our stuff and welcomed us home.

And a Merry Christmas was had by all

[JackLuminous 0]

Thanks to everyone here who posted their experiences. I'll add ours.

My wife and I drove up to Ontario from the VA area and on the way back there was a backup at the Peace Bridge, Buffalo. The officer was not very friendly and, when we handed the AP doc, she asked what that was. SHe was surprised that we had 2 copies (I thought we had to present both copies?? Someone explain?). Anyway we had to go inside for processing and that took 1.5 hours due to the amount of people there. INside, the officer doing the paperwok asked what the emergency was. My wife said truthfully that there was no emergency; we wanted to visit family for the holidays. THat's exactly what we wrote down on an additional piece of paper. The officer seemed somewhat skeptical that AP was issued for that reason. Anyways, he gave her a new I-94 then stamped the passport and ONE copy of the AP document.

Questions:

1. Does it really have to be an emergency? DHS issued the AP so why the raised eyebrows from field officers? Anyone traveling on AP for non-emergency reasons?

2. The next time we go through do we show the stamped copy of the AP or the un-stamped copy of the AP?

3. Does it make things go faster if we present the already stamped copy of the AP doc?

Thanks a great deal for everyone who replied to my post. I thought it only right to post my own experiences as well :-)

For the

[JackLuminous 0]

Also, do the border people always take your fingerprints and a photo when they process your AP document??

[supercaleroman 0]

I'm looking for a success story as well: has anyone succesfully travelled using an AP while waiting for the GC to be approved AFTER overstaying the visa for more than 180 days?

[John & Annie 0]

I'm looking for a success story as well: has anyone succesfully travelled using an AP while waiting for the GC to be approved AFTER overstaying the visa for more than 180 days?

If your AP is approved you should have no worries

[WifeOHunkyJohn 2]

Thanks to everyone here who posted their experiences. I'll add ours.

My wife and I drove up to Ontario from the VA area and on the way back there was a backup at the Peace Bridge, Buffalo. The officer was not very friendly and, when we handed the AP doc, she asked what that was. SHe was surprised that we had 2 copies (I thought we had to present both copies?? Someone explain?). Anyway we had to go inside for processing and that took 1.5 hours due to the amount of people there. INside, the officer doing the paperwok asked what the emergency was. My wife said truthfully that there was no emergency; we wanted to visit family for the holidays. THat's exactly what we wrote down on an additional piece of paper. The officer seemed somewhat skeptical that AP was issued for that reason. Anyways, he gave her a new I-94 then stamped the passport and ONE copy of the AP document.

Questions:

1. Does it really have to be an emergency? DHS issued the AP so why the raised eyebrows from field officers? Anyone traveling on AP for non-emergency reasons?

2. The next time we go through do we show the stamped copy of the AP or the un-stamped copy of the AP?

3. Does it make things go faster if we present the already stamped copy of the AP doc?

1. we wrote that we wanted to see my family for Christmas and meet our new baby nephew who was born in March (he's a cutie and it was worth it)

2. I got a stamped copy of my AP back (one of the two, they kept the other) and they stamped my passport as well so I personally would take both the AP in paper format and the passport with the AP stamp in it

3. Dunno, I only just got my AP and used it once.

Glad you got to see your family for Christmas and just remember that if it was not a valid reason for wanting an AP they probably would't have issued it. We find with the USCIS that the balance of miss-information far exceeds the actual facts that immigration officials know or are told. Our advantage though was our official actually appreciated the whole visa journey because he was on it himself. Bless.

[sanaay 0]

I'm looking for a success story as well: has anyone succesfully travelled using an AP while waiting for the GC to be approved AFTER overstaying the visa for more than 180 days?

actually.. i was told that if you overstayed then even the presence of the AP will not stop the officer from barring entry back into the US... I would verify that if I were you. I think it says it somewhere on the actual dcoument. It doesnt not guarantee reentry. The decision is still up to the border officer.

[Cassie 8]

I used my AP twice as well - I was pulled in on both occasions, first time was a 5 minute wait and the second time was a hour and a half wait. Both times was at Newark. I was just asked a couple of simple questions. I also took a copy of my marriage licence with me because my passport had my old name on it.

But all in all, it was nothing to worry about

Pauline

Thanks for the feedback, guys!

Hi, Cassie,

thanks for the feedback. Did you ever drive into Canada with AP?

Nope, Oklahoma is a smidge too far to drive to Nova Scotia.

[Krikit 1,164]

Thanks to the OP for posting this topic. I am currently in Canada debating whether I return to the U.S. flying out of Buffalo for ~$100 less than flying out of Toronto. Thought I would do a search to see travel experiences using advance parole and saw the Buffalo Peace Bridge post. Thank you. I will pay the extra $$ and book my flight out of T.O. for peace of mind. Having a death in the family during my cousin's wedding celebrations, as well as a medical emergency for my mother, is more than enough for me to deal with without the extra angst the Buffalo crossing would cause.

Flying SouthWest out of Buffalo - $78 usd

Flying WestJet out of Toronto - $228 cdn

Leaving my loved ones behind without being hassled - Priceless