Traveling abroad with conditional green card

[Dutch88 27]

Im planning on visiting my family in Europe this summer for a month. What do i need to bring with me to re-enter the US? I have a conditional green card. Do i just show my green card and passport to the CBP officer and thats it? Ive been reading all these horror stories online about being denied re-entry even with a green card.

[Crazy Cat 42,035]

1.  Yes, your GC will allow you to re-enter

2.  Please  give a link to "all these horror stories about being denied re-entry even with a green card. "

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

As above, GC is fine for re-entry. 

 

These "horror" stories also can be because of other circumstances as only US citizens are "guaranteed" entrance into the US. Perhaps there were underlying issues being left out of the stories you have heard.

[Dutch88 27]

6 minutes ago, missileman said:

1.  Yes, your GC will allow you to re-enter

2.  Please  give a link to "all these horror stories about being denied re-entry even with a green card. "

Ill google tonight, been a while but i read some topics about it on this forum. Being scrutinized as a green card holder by the CBP officer.

[ElGuapo88 19]

I was on a previous overstay, and also had two arrests prior to receiving my green card (neither was a crime of moral turpitude) so I too was concerned since I had also read plenty of stories about people having trouble upon reentry.  Green card is all you need.  Upon returning after my first time leaving the country in 10+ years, the CBP officer asked where I was coming from and immediately after asked me if I had ever been arrested before.  I replied "yes", and then he told me to gather my belongings and step into another room.  My wife was allowed to pass through and she was not allowed to come with me.  The secondary inspection room was packed with people and I waited for almost an hour.  Then the CBP officers in there called my name and simply handed me my passport and green card back, no questions asked. 

 

It's not uncommon to be sent to secondary inspection, but unless you committed any crimes AFTER receiving your green card or have something dubious in your file, you have nothing to worry about.  I'm assuming the officers in the secondary inspection just run a background check or something like that.  And it might also depend on your country of nationality and where you traveled to.  If you look at my post history you'll see a post I started with the same worries, and I included what my lawyer told me when I asked him if I had anything to worry about.

 

 

[Dutch88 27]

Thank you for sharing

[payxibka 10,047]

10 hours ago, Dutch88 said:

Ill google tonight, been a while but i read some topics about it on this forum. Being scrutinized as a green card holder by the CBP officer.

Everybody is subject to inspection (scrutinized).  Difference between being inspected and not being allowed to enter (unless they find an inadmissibility during the inspection).  

[payxibka 10,047]

7 hours ago, ElGuapo88 said:

It's not uncommon to be sent to secondary inspection, but unless you committed any crimes AFTER receiving your green card or have something dubious in your file, you have nothing to worry about. 

 

 

Not completely true, you can inadvertently abandon your residency status by departing the USA and then trying to return after a significant absence.  So it is not only about crimes and arrests

[ElGuapo88 19]

Correct, but OP stated "Im planning on visiting my family in Europe this summer for a month."   Sounds like they're just worried about having issues coming back in after a vacation, not going away for close to a year and abandoning their residency.

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

On 3/14/2018 at 12:34 PM, Dutch88 said:

Ill google tonight, been a while but i read some topics about it on this forum. Being scrutinized as a green card holder by the CBP officer.

Being scrutinized and being denied re-entry are two completely different things.

normally scrutiny arises from issues such as visiting questionable (from a us security perspective) country, being out of the US for a long time (questions about meeting residency requirements to retain green card), or having a past criminal record.