CR-1 Advance Parole requirement?

[OfficialGreenT 0]

Greetings people of VJ,

 

I have my visa interview at the consulate tomorrow. I received a reminder e-mail from the consulate today that contained the following statement (emphasis mine):

 

"Validity: The visa is valid for one entry during its validity period (6 months, from the date of the medical exam).

You can enter the United States any time within the validity of the visa.

Do not leave the U.S. until you are granted Legal Permanent Resident Status and have received your “Green Card.” Failure to follow the above instructions will delay your immigrant visa process."

 

Our lawyer replied as follows: "I’ve never seen this. Traditionally, after a person enters the US with an embassy/consular LPR grant, we schedule an info pass to receive a separate stamp in your passport that would confirm your LPR status. Recently, the process has changed. I have a separate case where the client wanted to travel home for Christmas. I argued with three separate Officers who refused the infopass and insisted that my client simply travel on the embassy stamp. You can leave either way but I would still try and secure an infopass and stamp.

You shouldn’t have any issues. I’ve had multiple clients leave this year. I would suggest you make the trip as quick as possible."

 

Our plan was as follows:

1. Enter U.S. ASAP after receiving visa, take a 4-5 week vacation.
2. Travel back to sell house, car, arrange shipping of belongings, end employment, etc. Would be out of the U.S. for about 3-5 months.
3. Enter U.S. and permanently move in with my wife.

 

I was under the impression that advance parole was not required for me for the CR-1 and that I would have no problems leaving and re-entering before issuance of Green Card. Lawyer informed us that it can take up to 12 months to actually receive Green Card and SSN, and it seems that leaving for an extended period of time (under 6 months though) could create issues.

 

Does anyone have any advice on this? Also, anyone any idea what is meant by the infopass and the LPR grant stamp? Lawyer's reply to that question was simply that it's "a USCIS appointment".

 

Cheers,

 

T

Edited January 3, 2022 by OfficialGreenT

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

Must be an email sent by mistake -believe it or not, USCIS makes mistakes 😂-.

 

Your plan sounds perfectly doable. As an example, people that live by the land borders, cross right after receiving their visa just to "activate" it and go back home immediately after to deal with whatever stuff they have to deal with. 

[Dashinka 24,150]

Once you enter the US using an immigrant visa (CR1/IR1), and the CBP officer endorses it, (see the note on the visa affixed to your passport) this will serve as a temporary GC.  You should be fine even if you have not received the physical GC.  There is no need to apply for advanced parole.

 

Good Luck!

Edited January 3, 2022 by Dashinka

[OfficialGreenT 0]

Thanks, people!

[pushbrk 12,605]

3 hours ago, Allaboutwaiting said:

Must be an email sent by mistake -believe it or not, USCIS makes mistakes 😂-.

 

Your plan sounds perfectly doable. As an example, people that live by the land borders, cross right after receiving their visa just to "activate" it and go back home immediately after to deal with whatever stuff they have to deal with. 

Plan is doable, but this is not a message from USCIS.

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

6 minutes ago, pushbrk said:

Plan is doable, but this is not a message from USCIS.

You're right, it was from a consulate, which as USCIS, rarely makes mistakes either. 🤣