Stuck in Tonga WITH AP card.....

[Al1ygator 1]

So my husband came to the US on a K-1 in June 2014, married in August, EAD, AP and AOS filed in September, received AP in November and traveled out of the US (to his home country) for a month beginning in late Dec 2014. We were supposed to get on our flight two days ago but the airline ticket lady wouldn't let us board because they only let people with green cards for the US go through. She was incredibly rude and said we would have to call the embassy in Fiji to get them to write a letter saying he could get on the plane because if they let him on it is "too big of a liability and risk of fines for the airline". I had the AP/EAD combo card for my husband, the paper that comes with it explaining every thing with clearly states "Presenting a valid combo card will authorize a transportation operator to accept you on board for travel to the United States without liability under section 273 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (the Act), provided that you arrive in the US on or before the expiration dates on the card." HOW MUCH CLEARER CAN IT BE?!

I called the embassy in Fiji this morning (had to wait 48hrs b/c of the weekend, ugh) and they didn't know about the card either but said it sounds like it should be enough to board the plane. They said if we wanted to come to Suva, Fiji (a $1000 US flight for us combined) that they would finger print him, take passport photos and have us fill out a form to get a Customs and Border FOIL stamp in his passport??? We already did all of that, that's what the AP card is. I also brought our marriage license and USCIS correspondence regarding our interview waiver but the freaking nasty lady didn't care (not that that proves anything about re-entry...)

Since when do airlines get to play immigration officers? If they are allowed to make these decisions they better be kept up to date on ALL of the possible ways to enter the US.

Anyone else experience this with Fiji Airways or another airline? Do we have a leg to stand on to get reimbursed for our financial losses incurred while staying for these extra days? So mad!!!! We did everything we were supposed to with the US. Feel like our rights are being violated. Any insight/advice would be so helpful.

[NancyNguyen 1,658]

Not every airlines' employee know about US documents. You need to calm down, and request to talk to higher officer to clear the matter. No need to call embassy or anything.

[asisflyer 47]

I had thought there were tales of AP not being accepted for UK departing flights to US.

If you were still standing there, I would say to begin with demanding the "station manager" for the carrier at the airport while there. That is generally the highest ranking personnel specific to the airline itself at a given airport or airport terminal in some cases.

Over the years one encounters lots of check-in staff with limited training who seeing a return ticket to somewhere other than one's passport itself, ask to see a visa and often one has to explain and occasionally escalate. Even in the US.

I have see an Indian diplomatic passport refused boarding on a Macau to Bangkok route as it was his return ticket and his diplomatic station was not Thai and so he had no Thai visa of any sort. He explained tried to explain transit only. He tried to explain no diplomatic visa was needed for transit or short stay. The airline position was that he had no visa for the country that was final destination on his ticket and so refused him boarding.

Given where you are now, you milds well send a well written certified letter to the CEO and separately to the Chairman of the given airline. I suspect you can get a free round trip coach ticket out of it.

[Al1ygator 1]

Not every airlines' employee know about US documents. You need to calm down, and request to talk to higher officer to clear the matter. No need to call embassy or anything.

I agree, not all of the employees will know the ins and outs of immigration, but she was the highest up in the airline in this airport, so she should know more. If she's never seen this card, which is very possible in such a small country, she should be willing to research it and call who ever she needs to to understand it. I am not mad she didn't know what it was, I am upset that she was not willing to call anyone or help us, and was rude the entire time. She acted like she was border control in the US, like she has final say. I just want the chance to be talking to people who know this card and let them make the decision.

[Al1ygator 1]

I had thought there were tales of AP not being accepted for UK departing flights to US.

If you were still standing there, I would say to begin with demanding the "station manager" for the carrier at the airport while there. That is generally the highest ranking personnel specific to the airline itself at a given airport or airport terminal in some cases.

Over the years one encounters lots of check-in staff with limited training who seeing a return ticket to somewhere other than one's passport itself, ask to see a visa and often one has to explain and occasionally escalate. Even in the US.

I have see an Indian diplomatic passport refused boarding on a Macau to Bangkok route as it was his return ticket and his diplomatic station was not Thai and so he had no Thai visa of any sort. He explained tried to explain transit only. He tried to explain no diplomatic visa was needed for transit or short stay. The airline position was that he had no visa for the country that was final destination on his ticket and so refused him boarding.

Given where you are now, you milds well send a well written certified letter to the CEO and separately to the Chairman of the given airline. I suspect you can get a free round trip coach ticket out of it.

Thanks for the reply. I wish there was another person above her to speak with in the airport, but she is the highest one in this airline in the whole country. I called the corporate number and explained to them the problem. They said it sounds like there is enough 'evidence' to allow him to board and to have her call if she has any issues, so we will try that tomorrow...

[Boiler 45,947]

I have seen this before, somewhere in Africa, forget which country.

The Airline are at risk if they transport someone without the correct documentation. In this case you have the correct documentation.

[MikeNZ1984 44]

I had the same issue when I travelled on a one way ticket to Europe from NZ with a EU/UK Passport. The ticketing desk wouldn't let me check in because I didn't have a return airfare (I'm NZ/UK Dual Citizen, was starting a round the world trip). Key to this is staying firm, but polite and escalating the situation without causing a disruption as well as taking into account the culture of who you are dealing with. In some cultures if you make them lose face you might as well give up and walk away.

Point is - this happened in a first world country, with a passport valid from that destination - a less confusing situation than EAD/AP cards, which I'd never heard of until I'd started my process after getting married. 99.9% of the world, and I'd guess a vast majority of airline employees, overseas, let alone in the USA probably haven't heard of them either.