Experience with Advanced Parole?

[Joe30 17]

Hello All,

 

What have your experiences been with an approved Advanced Parole? I know only US Citizens are guaranteed entry back in, so that being said... is there a chance a person with an approved AP will have issues with entry? 

[USC4SPOUSE 506]

8 minutes ago, Joe30 said:

Hello All,

 

What have your experiences been with an approved Advanced Parole? I know only US Citizens are guaranteed entry back in, so that being said... is there a chance a person with an approved AP will have issues with entry? 

I do not think I've read or heard of anyone having an issue when returning to the US with Advanced Parole. My spouse had no issues. In theory, USCIS approves after running extensive background checks. I would imagine that you would have an issue at the port of entry if you commit a crime after you USCIS approves your AP and then that legal issue comes up on a background check at the port of entry, 

 

 

[SalishSea 17,847]

My husband did have an issue.  One of his daughters flew from Auckland to Vancouver BC, and we drove up from Seattle to pick her up and spend a weekend in Vancouver.  Coming back across the border was fine (he had AP, she had ESTA), and I am a USC.   However, when he drove her up to YVR for the return flight, I didn't go with them because I had to work.  Coming back across (after ~ two hours total in Canada), he was harassed and detained for a bit at the Blaine crossing, and decided not to travel on the AP again.  We concluded that without the USC petitioner present, at least at that particular land crossing, CBP are more inclined to balk at AP.

[Crazy Cat 41,904]

34 minutes ago, Joe30 said:

Hello All,

 

What have your experiences been with an approved Advanced Parole? I know only US Citizens are guaranteed entry back in, so that being said... is there a chance a person with an approved AP will have issues with entry? 

Why would there be a significant risk?  The whole purpose of the I-131 is to allow re-entry.

[Crazy Cat 41,904]

@Joe30

 

One similar thread has been removed.  Please do not post multiple threads regarding the same question.  Please keep all related questions under this thread.

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

1 hour ago, Joe30 said:

Hello All,

 

What have your experiences been with an approved Advanced Parole? I know only US Citizens are guaranteed entry back in, so that being said... is there a chance a person with an approved AP will have issues with entry? 

Yes, just as there’s a chance a person with  only a green card will have issues with entry. The purpose of AP is to travel..if it wasn’t valid there would be no such thing. You should be as “worried” to travel with AP as you would be with a green card. I.e. if traveling with a green card DOESN’T make you nervous- then traveling with AP shouldn’t make you nervous as well. 🙂 

[Joe30 17]

1 hour ago, Lucky Cat said:

@Joe30

 

One similar thread has been removed.  Please do not post multiple threads regarding the same question.  Please keep all related questions under this thread.

Sorry about that. I am new to this. Duely noted though. 
 

so to my other question, can one travel in and out with approved AP after visa expiration?

[HRQX 4,145]

38 minutes ago, Joe30 said:

can one travel in and out with approved AP after visa expiration?

Yes, as long as:

• "Multiple trips" box was selected on Form I-131;
• the Advance Parole document is still valid when entering the US; and
• the I-485 is still pending

[SalishSea 17,847]

1 hour ago, Luckycuds said:

Yes, just as there’s a chance a person with  only a green card will have issues with entry. The purpose of AP is to travel..if it wasn’t valid there would be no such thing. You should be as “worried” to travel with AP as you would be with a green card. I.e. if traveling with a green card DOESN’T make you nervous- then traveling with AP shouldn’t make you nervous as well. 🙂 

They are not exactly the same though.  Advance Parole holders are not yet permanent residents.

[SalishSea 17,847]

59 minutes ago, Joe30 said:

can one travel in and out with approved AP

In theory.  But I would be careful with many entries/exits.  It is not equivalent to a US passport.

[USC4SPOUSE 506]

@Joe30 just wanted to mention that my husband traveled by himself and he had no issues. Of course, he had to go to secondary inspection. They asked him a few questions like why I did not traveled with him. That was really it. 

 

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

24 minutes ago, Jorgedig said:

They are not exactly the same though.  Advance Parole holders are not yet permanent residents.

I understand they aren’t the same - I guess I was just trying to say there’s no guarantee for green card holders either- so if you are that concerned with traveling with AP then I would imagine you would/should have the same concern as traveling with a GC. So many people post they are concerned/worried traveling with AP but that’s the whole point- to be able to travel until you are granted a GC- but even then only US citizens are guaranteed entry.

[Ontarkie 14,234]

~~Thread moved to Working and Traveling, from AOS from WOrk, Student and Tourist VIsas~~

[Coco8 1,042]

I had to go to secondary and wait. They just need to check your information through the system and it's slow. They ask you some basic questions (e.g. where do you live? where do you work?). 

 

I think that if you have a second flight, it's important to take into consideration that getting in is going to take you a bit more than normal. 

[Mike E 11,739]

To the assertion that LPRs are not guaranteed entry.  This is false. See

 https://www.aila.org/File/Related/18110604b.pdf

 

Are there issues with using AP? Absolutely.  Nearly every use of AP requires a secondary inspection. These can range from under 5 minutes of delay to over three hours (which was the case for my wife the first time she used it).  
 

Most of these inspections are non eventful except for the wait.    Some inspections do involve a verbally abusive CBP officer.  I am yet to read a single example of an alien with AP being denied entry.   https://www.***removed***/advance-parole-experiences/ Is a great place to read about experiences of people who use AP.  
 

One caution is that I previously read somewhere that aliens who got AP through marriage to a US person risk denial of entry if they don’t travel with their spouse, unless they were traveling solo to their country of citizenship to visit family.  I haven’t been able relocate the web page for that.  However my wife’s

second experience using AP backs that up.  
 

I had an international business trip in December 2019, and my wife didn’t make up her mind to join me until the less than three weeks before I was due to leave.  I gave her a choice between economy class on my flights while I was in business class (discount business class having sold out) or first class using frequent flyer miles on a separate airline.  
 

She picked first class.  
 

She returned through Abu Dhabi where CBP has a precleance station. No secondary inspection there.  But she was asked where her husband was.  I prepared her for the likelihood of this question.  
 

 She had a copy of my itinerary and explained they were both departed Bangalore within hours of each other and he was in the air somewhere enroute to the USA.  
 

The CBP officer was satisfied.  

 

Her third use of AP was traveling with me on the same flight.  It was 30 minutes in secondary and we were separated. 
 

If you aren’t afraid of verbal abuse from CBP, use AP.