Travel with combo card but before receiving green card

[JohnE 57]

Good morning,

I know this topic has been covered before but I had to ask! We are in the process of AOS from K1. We filed all the paperwork in late October. Elizabeth has her biometrics on December 3rd and hopefully we will not have a RFE so expect the combo card (work authorization and AP) in late December. I know full well we can travel outside the US and use the combo card (and of course her passport) to enter back into the US. I understand that maybe half the people that file AOS from K1 have an interview and half do not have the interview. If you do not have an interview your online status will change (without any notification to you) to show your green card is in production and will be mailed to you. Here comes my question. We are heading to Mexico City in late February or early March (of course will wait for the combo card). What if we are in Mexico City on March 1st and we check the online status with USCIS and it shows the green card is in production. I understand when the green card is produced the combo card is not valid anymore. What happens when we fly back into the Atlanta air port and get to immigration control? Will their system show the combo card is not valid and Elizabeth cannot enter the US? This one has me a little worried. I look forward to your reply and or real life experience with this type of matter. Yes I might be stretching it a little but I have tried to cover every angle in our visa journey.

I also know about the 551 stamp in your passport that you sometimes can get but also understand it is very hard to secure. I really do not think we can get the 551 stamp just by telling USCIS my above listed what ifs.

Thanks friends

John and Elizabeth

Edited November 18, 2013 by JohnE

[h13rma 35]

You can re enter with the combo card, if she gets GC while you are abroad she needs at some point in the next year to change her status to LPR with CBP, by either traveling or arranging secondary inspection.

[JohnE 57]

You can re enter with the combo card, if she gets GC while you are abroad she needs at some point in the next year to change her status to LPR with CBP, by either traveling or arranging secondary inspection.

Thanks for your reply but that did not answer my question.

[h13rma 35]

The reason reason they retain the card at an interview where they approve you is because it doesn't become invalid straight away. This exact thing happened to a friend of mine. You can re-enter on ead if green card has been issued it's not a problem, but at some point you need to adjust immigration status, so that you are counted as being an lpr rather than being in AOS

[TBoneTX 46,124]

I took my wife to Mexico when she had her AP paper (before the days of the combo card). CBP processed her re-entry on the basis of that. We soon found that her green card was in the mail to us at that very moment. Had CBP known about that (they didn't mention anything) and told us, we would have said something like "Thanks for the great news! We look forward to checking the mail when we get home." The AP document wouldn't have become void immediately just because we didn't have the green card in hand.

In fact, as I remember, I asked the CBP agent "Does it [his computer] show any update about the green card?" He said that he didn't have access to that information.

It's crucial that your wife have a copy of your marriage certificate with her at all times until her green card is in hand. In addition, if you're driving anywhere within a 100-mile distance from the Mexican border, have every possible supporting "legal" document with you. The CBP agents at some of the internal checkpoints can be bored, humorless, and eager to nail somebody.

[Lynkali 163]

In addition, if you're driving anywhere within a 100-mile distance from the Mexican border, have every possible supporting "legal" document with you. The CBP agents at some of the internal checkpoints can be bored, humorless, and eager to nail somebody.

I'm curious about that last part. I live in San Diego and I've passed our local checkpoints thousands of times, and never once been asked for any ID, always just waved through without stopping -- bear in mind I'm US-born and lily white. Now my husband has arrived and is living here -- being Finnish he is maybe even whiter than me. I don't mean anything bad by this, but ... is it only for certain ethnicities that they are likely to stop and ask? Because in 42 years of living here, thousands of checkpoints, I have never once been asked???

I just can't see any reason my husband will need to carry around his marriage certificate and everything else, driving around with me here ... certainly crossing borders yes, but at the freeway local checkpoints, why would we ever be stopped? (I really do apologize if my white privilege is showing!!! It's just hard to understand!)

[A & Lili 1]

My wife will receive her EAD/AP combo card this coming Monday (Nov. 25th) according to status listed on USCIS site. We are pondering whether to travel abroad during the second week of December, but are fearfull that re-enter could be denied. She entered on a K1 visa and now on AOS. Process got started before I94 expired and never overstayed in the past. I've read several comments and it seems that nobody can confirm that traveling with combo card guarantees re-entry. The trip would be to visit relatives and her kids that have not being able to come visit her because of school. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

[TBoneTX 46,124]

I just can't see any reason my husband will need to carry around his marriage certificate and everything else, driving around with me here ... certainly crossing borders yes, but at the freeway local checkpoints, why would we ever be stopped?

Picture a new CBP agent, or one on a power trip, seeking to nail somebody. If they ever ask "U.S. citizen?" and your husband isn't prepared to support his legal status, you'll wish that he had the support with him.

Until Mrs. T-B. had her green card in hand, I had her carry the marriage certificate and the AOS NOA1 everywhere she went. And she carried the green card everywhere (as states the very clear law) until she became a citizen.

Remember that the Federal government has unlimited time and resources to make our lives miserable.

Edited November 23, 2013 by TBoneTX

[TBoneTX 46,124]

My wife will receive her EAD/AP combo card this coming Monday (Nov. 25th) according to status listed on USCIS site. We are pondering whether to travel abroad during the second week of December, but are fearfull that re-enter could be denied.

From what you say, there should be no worries. Simply have her carry a copy of your marriage certificate along with the combo card, and all should be well.