Travelling first time with GC

[breadlover408 24]

Hi everyone so I just wanted to check how this works.

I am about to travel abroad with my GC.

So I would book the tickets to and fro with my passport name  (with non-married last. name)

My GC has my married name (last name) on it.

When I leave my destination country back to the US, I would show my passport upon leaving...

 

...and then when I arrive in the US, I'd show the GC?

Reason why I'm asking is because I thought when you leave a country with a passport, it would have some record that you had left, and that you arrived.
but if I was to arrive with the GC, then it would be as if my passport did not have conclusion to the end of the trip?

 

 

Edited February 13, 2023 by breadlover408

[Mike E 11,739]

When you have a round trip ticket, on the outbound, you will show the airline worker your passport, and unless you are Canadian, the worker should ask you for either:

 

* proof of onward travel after you come back to the U.S. 

 

* documentation that you are authorized to stay long term in the U.S.

 

You will prove the latter which will be your gc and marriage certificate.  The worker should notify CBP that a gc holder is leaving the U.S.  

 

If you are booking a one way for your outbound. and the country of destination is not your country of citizenship, then the airline worker should ask you for your proof of onward travel or authorization to stay long term in that country. So you will produce your one way return ticket, gc, and marriage certificate.  So again the worker should notify CBP a gc holder is leaving. 
 

When you return to the U.S. your sole travel document at the port of entry is your gc. IME, sometimes CBP will also ask for your passport.  At a preclearance port of entry, generally CBP wants to see your boarding pass too. The discrepancy in name might  require your passport  and marriage certificate. 
 

Thus if you are concerned about CBP tracking your movements accurately, always present your passport and marriage certificate when you enter the USA.  
 

See also https://www.cbp.gov/document/guides/carrier-information-guide-english which talks about documents airlines should ask LPRs for when exiting the U.S.  

Edited February 13, 2023 by Mike E

[Dashinka 24,489]

I would not worry about it.  My wife traveled like this for four years and had no issues and was never asked for the marriage certificate.  I do remember that when re-entering the US, she presented both her GC and her Russian passport, so if the system tracking exits and entries was working properly, it should be fine.  We never checked, and when she went through naturalization, I assume they reviewed her entire international travel history then and there were no issues.