Took 3 months, but I've run the EAD AP card thru the paces!

[Loren Y 2,756]

Took me about 3 months to get every type of POE in using her EAD/AP card. I travel a decent amount, and I decided to bring the wife along to try out CBP at some different entry points. Hopefully this puts people's mind at ease when it comes to using the AP function of your card.

1- POE at Seattle, WA airport. Arrival from Taipai in route to Las Vegas on EVA airlines. I have Global Entry, Mobil passport, etc, so I usually have no issues. My last entry thru LAX solo took me 1:38 seconds to clear customs. Yes, I timed it. My wife and I came thru Seattle early afternoon on a Saturday. Traffic was fairly light, and it was only about a 10 minute que to see the officer. My documents presentation with no issues. She handed her passport and EAD AP card over. He scanned both of them, looked at the photos, looked at her, said welcome back, and away we went. Total time with officer was under 5 minutes. Our first time using the card and no issues. This was November 22 2019. 

 

2- POE at San ysidro, CA land crossing via the East pedestrian entry. Once again, a decent walk thru the building to the actual CBP area early in the morning on a Monday, around 6am. About a 20 minute que to see the officer. Once again, my documents presented with no issues and only a few questions. My wife presented passport and EAD AP card again. Once again, both scanned, and a few questions about if she had anything in her bag, and where her final destination was, then a thanks and welcome back and be on your way. Maybe 10 minutes with the officer due to some extra questions. Another successful run with the EAD AP card around December 16th I believe it was.

 

3- POE at Long Beach CA cruise ship terminal, so this time a cruise ship return, there have been occasional questions on here about cruising, and this is my experience with her EAD AP card. Now, I have noticed in my experience and multiple cruises that CBP at cruise ship entry points is fairly lax compared to other POE s. Maybe because you are coming back from a closely monitored vacation, or maybe people trying to sneak in off a cruise ship is minimal, but I expected no issues here. Once again, other than a decent walk to the CBP entry point, but less than a minute que to see the officer, it was just about instant. Once again presented my documents, they got a quick glance, and handed back, not even scanned. Wife handed passport and EAD AP card to officer. Once again, a quick glance, no scan, and just a nod to be on our way. Total time was less than 5 minutes. This was done earlier today January 17, 2020.

 

So, I don't promise everyone to have as much luck, but with air, land, and Sea entrys all under our belt and no issues I encourage you to get out there with the EAD AP card. Don't think you are limited. 

Edited January 18, 2020 by Loren Y

[jakejon 1,197]

3 hours ago, Loren Y said:

Took me about 3 months to get every type of POE in using her EAD/AP card. I travel a decent amount, and I decided to bring the wife along to try out CBP at some different entry points. Hopefully this puts people's mind at ease when it comes to using the AP function of your card.

1- POE at Seattle, WA airport. Arrival from Taipai in route to Las Vegas on EVA airlines. I have Global Entry, Mobil passport, etc, so I usually have no issues. My last entry thru LAX solo took me 1:38 seconds to clear customs. Yes, I timed it. My wife and I came thru Seattle early afternoon on a Saturday. Traffic was fairly light, and it was only about a 10 minute que to see the officer. My documents presentation with no issues. She handed her passport and EAD AP card over. He scanned both of them, looked at the photos, looked at her, said welcome back, and away we went. Total time with officer was under 5 minutes. Our first time using the card and no issues. This was November 22 2019. 

 

2- POE at San ysidro, CA land crossing via the East pedestrian entry. Once again, a decent walk thru the building to the actual CBP area early in the morning on a Monday, around 6am. About a 20 minute que to see the officer. Once again, my documents presented with no issues and only a few questions. My wife presented passport and EAD AP card again. Once again, both scanned, and a few questions about if she had anything in her bag, and where her final destination was, then a thanks and welcome back and be on your way. Maybe 10 minutes with the officer due to some extra questions. Another successful run with the EAD AP card around December 16th I believe it was.

 

3- POE at Long Beach CA cruise ship terminal, so this time a cruise ship return, there have been occasional questions on here about cruising, and this is my experience with her EAD AP card. Now, I have noticed in my experience and multiple cruises that CBP at cruise ship entry points is fairly lax compared to other POE s. Maybe because you are coming back from a closely monitored vacation, or maybe people trying to sneak in off a cruise ship is minimal, but I expected no issues here. Once again, other than a decent walk to the CBP entry point, but less than a minute que to see the officer, it was just about instant. Once again presented my documents, they got a quick glance, and handed back, not even scanned. Wife handed passport and EAD AP card to officer. Once again, a quick glance, no scan, and just a nod to be on our way. Total time was less than 5 minutes. This was done earlier today January 17, 2020.

 

So, I don't promise everyone to have as much luck, but with air, land, and Sea entrys all under our belt and no issues I encourage you to get out there with the EAD AP card. Don't think you are limited. 

Hey! Have you not had your GC interview yet?! 
 

I only used AP only once in my journey and that was in Seattle; minimal queue (2 or less before me) and as liberal as Seattle is they certainly didn’t take 5 mins LOL!
 

Advance Parole is more than a 5 min ordeal.  Officers have to check systems to make sure everything is in place with USCIS and as the officer at POE said to me it normally does require secondary to avoid queue delays (not to suggest anything’s wrong but to highlight it does take moments to verify everything). 
 

To note, not every POE requires secondary with AP but most members do experience this due to verification immigration purposes. 
 

 

[Loren Y 2,756]

7 hours ago, jakejon said:

Hey! Have you not had your GC interview yet?! 
 

I only used AP only once in my journey and that was in Seattle; minimal queue (2 or less before me) and as liberal as Seattle is they certainly didn’t take 5 mins LOL!
 

Advance Parole is more than a 5 min ordeal.  Officers have to check systems to make sure everything is in place with USCIS and as the officer at POE said to me it normally does require secondary to avoid queue delays (not to suggest anything’s wrong but to highlight it does take moments to verify everything). 
 

To note, not every POE requires secondary with AP but most members do experience this due to verification immigration purposes. 
 

 

I have given up on ever getting the AOS interview. I just renewed the EAD/AP card and it was received just a few days ago in less than a month. They process them electronically now, so I guess it is faster for the renewals. It was in the mailbox when we got back today from the Cruise. It's good until 4/2021, so as long as she can keep working and traveling I am hoping that they keep pushing the AOS interview until after we have been married 2 years, she will get the 10 year green card, and I can avoid ROC. Only have to make it until late January, early Febuary of 2021 to get a 10 year card, and since we have EAD/AP until 4/2021 now, They can take their sweet old time as far as I am concerned.

All 3 entries above within the last 3 months went as described. Not once were we pulled into secondary, and the longest was the few questions at the land border crossing. I am getting ready to leave right now to run down to Yuma, AZ, and since I'm down there I love this place just across the boarder in Mexicali for some lunch, so She is going to come with me again, so I will have another land crossing under our belt by tomorrow, or the next day. The card has been working like a champ, and no issues so far. Maybe other people have been having issues, but so far so good for us. If anything goes off the rails I will be sure to post. This time we will use the new Hotness. Since we just got the new card a few days ago, have to break it in. LOL. This will be the last time she leaves for a while as she will be working a lot more, but who knows. I was worried we for sure would have been pulled into secondary, and having her with me I was worried of getting slowed down, but that hasn't been the case.

[Loren Y 2,756]

Define irony... Not 8 hours goes by after I post on here that I could care less about the AOS interview and look what shows up on informed delivery on my way thru Arizona... Pretty sure it's the notice for my rescheduled AOS interview. Won't know till I get home, but you know that's what it is. No soon as I post on Visa journey that I don't care about AOS and I'm going to avoid ROC. The interview notice shows up.