Invalid F-1 Status with I-130/I485 Pending, Ok to Travel Abroad with AP?

[ypark 0]

Hello VisaJorney members,

I have been putting together me and my wife's AOS package with the help of invaluable resources provided here. We are ready to send it out to Chicago lockbox in couple of days and I would like to know if my wife and I are OK to travel to Korea for our wedding. Here's the brief background information about us.

We have been married for more than a year but haven't really gotten around to file for her AOS until recently. After the marriage, my wife (F-1 student) did not enroll for her spring semeter, which probably have invalidated her F-1 status. In the mean time, her parents have been making arrangement for our wedding in Korea which is scheduled to be in June.

So, we are also filing I-131 to obtain Advance Parole Document but I do understand that it does not guarantee re-entry back into US. As much as I want her to be able to go see her family and have our ceremony, I do not want to risk being separated from her for extended period of time or having AOS application be cancelled. Has anyone been in a similar situation? Any tips or advice?

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. All responses are appreciated.

-YP

[newacct 688]

You are a US citizen, right? (It seems like it from what you said since otherwise you wouldn't be able to send I-130 and I-485 together anyway.)

Yes, it's okay to travel with AP.

[ypark 0]

Hi newacct,

Thank you for the response. I really do hope you are right but I've heard otherwise from other sources (mostly Google search hits on other forums). If possible, can you point me to a trustworthy source where I can verify this information? Has anyone traveled abroad under similar circumstances? Is there a post of another member with similar experience?

Again, thank you for any information you can provide to put our minds at ease.

-YP

[TakumiKobyashi 5]

A bigger problem for you is that if you haven't already filed for AOS & AP, there's basically no chance that you'll get the AP before June. According to some of the other posts on VJ, it's currently taking around 90 days to get the AP. If I were you, I'd definitely reschedule the wedding, as difficult as that might be.