Notice of Potential Interview Waiver Case

[Derwood 203]

Good morning you all!

Shell 20, when you re-entered US with the AP did you need to provide any other documents beside the AP card and your passport? People keep telling me it is risky.

My husband told me he did research and the K-1 visa was the best way to go.....if only I knew that it could mean endless waiting. >.<

Your timelines are freaking me out, can't believe some of you have been waiting over a year! Ridiculous!

Rach

You must have your passport and unexpired combo card or separate AP document to re-enter the country. I've heard of some airlines causing difficulty when boarding as they are not all familiar with these documents. I traveled with British Airways and had no problems. However shortly afterwards I heard of someone, also traveling with BA, who had real problems boarding the flight - they did get on in the end.

I'd arm yourself with pages 1 and 44 of the following document just in case you have any problems with your airline:

http://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/carrier_info_guide.pdf

By the way, the first time you use your advance parole you will be sent to secondary inspection as a matter of routine. They will put an advance parole stamp in your passport that will be valid for a year. You won't need to go to secondary for subsequent trips as long as the stamp is still valid, or that's the theory anyway.

Edited March 6, 2015 by Derwood

[riprip 0]

You CANNOT use the K1 visa, the K1 visa is one only entry and it becomes extinct once you have used it. You are in AOS, have you received your EAD/AP card? The AP is what you have to come and go with!! What I did was I took a copy of our marriage certificate and the letter to acknowledge I had filed for AOS and was currently waiting for my GC. I also obviously took my EAD/AP card. That is all you need, they didn't look at my marriage cert or my 1-485 noa 1. It is not risky if you have your AP card that is the whole purpose of it!

Thank you Shell20. On the I-131 form it mentions it should be used for medical emergency, studies and business. So I was hesitant on using it for a holiday.

Sorry I'm new here, how do I get my timeline to show on the bottom when I reply, like some others?

You must have your passport and unexpired combo card or separate AP document to re-enter the country. I've heard of some airlines causing difficulty when boarding as they are not all familiar with these documents. I traveled with British Airways and had no problems but heard of someone who had real problems boarding the flight, although they did get on.

I'd arm yourself with pages 1 and 44 of the following document just in case you have any problems with your airline:

http://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/carrier_info_guide.pdf

By the way, the first time you use your advance parole you will be sent to secondary inspection as a matter of routine. They will put an advance parole stamp in your passport that will be valid for a year. You won't need to go to secondary for subsequent trips as long as the stamp is still valid, or that's the theory.

Thanks Derwood, that is very useful.

[Tina and Johan 206]

You'll be leaving the country without AP if you don't have your green card by then? Just want to clarify, because it's not a good idea to do that.

I didn't mean that we don't have AP. we do. My concern here is that, IF it takes the whole year, we'll be out of the country when that comes around. What happens when your GC is approved? Does that automatically negate the EAD/AP? and IF that happens while out of the country, what then? We are smart enough to travel with AP. After this wait, I'm not about to ditch the process now (although, we were looking at houses online in Ireland just the other night).

[nlherman 36]

Yes they do have our money and if it was a restaurant with our money and we got no food, we would complain and if the restaurant had good customer service then they would rectify the problem, but alas USCIS don't seem to want too. To be honest I think I am getting past caring, not about you guys, but whether the USCIS can get their act together, it's increasingly doubtful!

As I wrote yesterday, getting my wife's GC will not end my anger, it will only increase. The unmitigating gall of this agency to play fast and loose with a whole group of applicants is inexcusable. They created the IW for the sole purpose of forestalling have to use the increased revenue to hire new IO from the increased number of applicants. Where is that money going? Is there an IG overseeing this mess? I can tell you this, I'm gonna find out and if I can make heads roll, I will. (Oooops, lost my head. That was probably not a good analogy in the present state of the world).

[Derwood 203]

I didn't mean that we don't have AP. we do. My concern here is that, IF it takes the whole year, we'll be out of the country when that comes around. What happens when your GC is approved? Does that automatically negate the EAD/AP? and IF that happens while out of the country, what then? We are smart enough to travel with AP. After this wait, I'm not about to ditch the process now (although, we were looking at houses online in Ireland just the other night).

I recall a recent post where someone had their GC approved while they were out of the country and was still able to use their EAD/AP card to re-enter successfully.

[Derwood 203]

Also, if I remember rightly the EAD/AP card comes with a slip of paper explaining that airlines are allowed to board people in possession of a valid card.

[shell20 746]

Thank you Shell20. On the I-131 form it mentions it should be used for medical emergency, studies and business. So I was hesitant on using it for a holiday.

Sorry I'm new here, how do I get my timeline to show on the bottom when I reply, like some others?

Thanks Derwood, that is very useful.

No problem, the only problem I can envisage if you actually go on line to print of your boarding pass for the return trip, when I did it said it could not book me in as I didn't have a current ESTA, an AP precedes and ESTA and an ESTA should not be renewed!

The next problem is when I checked in to get my flight back home, I had to press the button at the airport that said I was a resident. Now if you don't have a machine and the person booking you in for the flight home, you need to ask them to process the AP as if it was a GC.

I read up on this before I went home and found that someone at an airport somewhere had never seen an AP card and they were trying to process it as if it was a "normal" visa instead of putting it in the system as it was a GC. This went on for an hour until they processed it like a GC and voila it worked! The other thing is that when I came back to border control in Philadelphia, I was told I could have queued up with the residents and citizens. I did go for secondary interview on the way back as I did with my K1. The border control lady who was very nice, told me once I had my GC this would no longer apply.

[Natonstan 129]

I didn't mean that we don't have AP. we do. My concern here is that, IF it takes the whole year, we'll be out of the country when that comes around. What happens when your GC is approved? Does that automatically negate the EAD/AP? and IF that happens while out of the country, what then? We are smart enough to travel with AP. After this wait, I'm not about to ditch the process now (although, we were looking at houses online in Ireland just the other night).

Did someone say houses in Ireland, you know I do the same thing, I look up houses in my hometown in County Westmeath that I left when I was 1 year old (Or taken away from there I should say!) My wife says she'd never leave Texas though so that's me outta luck! I'll admit the whole crapfest with the USCIS is making me feel very homesick and unwelcome also

[shell20 746]

Thank you Shell20. On the I-131 form it mentions it should be used for medical emergency, studies and business. So I was hesitant on using it for a holiday.

Sorry I'm new here, how do I get my timeline to show on the bottom when I reply, like some others?

Thanks Derwood, that is very useful.

By the way it is not just for emergency etc. .I used it to visit my son for Christmas, I don't think they asked about that, just how long I had been away for, which was 6 weeks. It can be used for holidays and visiting relatives, it's your get out of free jail card.. Well it might as well be as it's aptly named advanced parole as if we are a load of alien criminals!!

[Tina and Johan 206]

I recall a recent post where someone had their GC approved while they were out of the country and was still able to use their EAD/AP card to re-enter successfully.

Also, if I remember rightly the EAD/AP card comes with a slip of paper explaining that airlines are allowed to board people in possession of a valid card.

No problem, the only problem I can envisage if you actually go on line to print of your boarding pass for the return trip, when I did it said it could not book me in as I didn't have a current ESTA, an AP precedes and ESTA and an ESTA should not be renewed!

The next problem is when I checked in to get my flight back home, I had to press the button at the airport that said I was a resident. Now if you don't have a machine and the person booking you in for the flight home, you need to ask them to process the AP as if it was a GC.

I read up on this before I went home and found that someone at an airport somewhere had never seen an AP card and they were trying to process it as if it was a "normal" visa instead of putting it in the system as it was a GC. This went on for an hour until they processed it like a GC and voila it worked! The other thing is that when I came back to border control in Philadelphia, I was told I could have queued up with the residents and citizens. I did go for secondary interview on the way back as I did with my K1. The border control lady who was very nice, told me once I had my GC this would no longer apply.

All great news and advice. Hopefully, USCIS will not take the full year, and the GC's will be in hand for our trip to Europe. Of course, this is not the expectation!

[MissSarah 22]

I didn't mean that we don't have AP. we do. My concern here is that, IF it takes the whole year, we'll be out of the country when that comes around. What happens when your GC is approved? Does that automatically negate the EAD/AP? and IF that happens while out of the country, what then? We are smart enough to travel with AP. After this wait, I'm not about to ditch the process now (although, we were looking at houses online in Ireland just the other night).

Oh okay good, I had understood your post as not having AP or GC and you were going to leave the US lol.

[Tina and Johan 206]

Did someone say houses in Ireland, you know I do the same thing, I look up houses in my hometown in County Westmeath that I left when I was 1 year old (Or taken away from there I should say!) My wife says she'd never leave Texas though so that's me outta luck! I'll admit the whole crapfest with the USCIS is making me feel very homesick and unwelcome also

I have a 10 year old Irish stepson. My daughter graduates high school next year. Tentatively, once they have citizenship (whenever the heck that will be!) we may relocate back to Ireland. We looked at Waterford county the other night, and watched a movie near Galway last night. I would move if the conditions were right. The 2 main reasons for them coming here were a. my daughter being almost done with school, and b. I had the better job at the time. That's pretty much it.

Oh okay good, I had understood your post as not having AP or GC and you were going to leave the US lol.

Oh man, could you imagine!!!

[shell20 746]

Did someone say houses in Ireland, you know I do the same thing, I look up houses in my hometown in County Westmeath that I left when I was 1 year old (Or taken away from there I should say!) My wife says she'd never leave Texas though so that's me outta luck! I'll admit the whole crapfest with the USCIS is making me feel very homesick and unwelcome also

Ditto, I know that feeling and if it wasn't for the fact my husbands son's are under 18 I would be actively encouraging him to come with me to England! He can't leave them though they need him, but I can't sponsor my only child as I have to be a GC holder to do that, then wait 7 years, as he isn't my immediate relative, never heard so much BS, I have a Caesarean scar to prove it and 25 years of caring for him.

My son is now saying he probably doesn't want to come here to live, he has looked at waiting times for work permits, family visa's etc. Can I blame him? No I can't. So I am stuck in the middle feeling sad, I can't leave my husband but I feel very homesick for my son. My husband and I always envisage a big happy family, didn't realise we would get all this #######, keeping families together? Yeah right!

[Natonstan 129]

I have a 10 year old Irish stepson. My daughter graduates high school next year. Tentatively, once they have citizenship (whenever the heck that will be!) we may relocate back to Ireland. We looked at Waterford county the other night, and watched a movie near Galway last night. I would move if the conditions were right. The 2 main reasons for them coming here were a. my daughter being almost done with school, and b. I had the better job at the time. That's pretty much it.

Oh man, could you imagine!!!

Well like I said my US Citizen wife says she'll never leave Texas, now I will say she's never been to Ireland and I'm hoping to take her in November to see my family/the places I grew up visiting, the house my grandma was born in etc. so maybe she'll change her mind. I do think I will stay in the US until Citizenship though just because I think that would be a good idea, I myself hold Irish and British citizenship..not sure if I'd have to drop one or if I could actually get TRI citizenship.. no big deal if not as I know which one I'd drop!

[Natonstan 129]

Ditto, I know that feeling and if it wasn't for the fact my husbands son's are under 18 I would be actively encouraging him to come with me to England! He can't leave them though they need him, but I can't sponsor my only child as I have to be a GC holder to do that, then wait 7 years, as he isn't my immediate relative, never heard so much BS, I have a Caesarean scar to prove it and 25 years of caring for him.

My son is now saying he probably doesn't want to come here to live, he has looked at waiting times for work permits, family visa's etc. Can I blame him? No I can't. So I am stuck in the middle feeling sad, I can't leave my husband but I feel very homesick for my son. My husband and I always envisage a big happy family, didn't realise we would get all this #######, keeping families together? Yeah right!

Sorry Shell I missed your reply, I can't even begin to imagine how your situation must be, with your son over there and you and your new husband here, USCIS clearly doesn't give a damn though