Kids and GCs

[Dakine 26]

Just wondered if it's required for a kid in kindergarden to carry their GC?

[John & Annie 0]

Just wondered if it's required for a kid in kindergarden to carry their GC?

Technically, yes. being that you are there guardian until they are 18, you need to carry it.

[eau_xplain 2]

This is what the "Welcome to the United States of America" document from USCIS says:

Permanent residents are issued a valid Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551) as proof of their legal status in the United States. Some people call this a “Green Card.” If you are a permanent resident who is 18 years or older, you must carry proof of your immigration status. You must show it to an immigration officer if asked for it.

I take it to mean that a minor is not required to carry one around. The only time I carried my son's green card with me was when we went on a trip overseas.

[motu 5]

It all depends on what the kid (or even the adult) is doing and if the cops or immigration authorities are going to be around. My wife has had her green card now for 1.5 years and never was she asked to show it by anyone other than for employment application, traveling at the airports/immigration and as an ID for credit card usage etc. If she never carried it, it would still have been okay so far.

I wonder what the cops/immigration is going to do if you say - I don't carry it, I keep it at home and my husband/wife/son/daughter can go get it to show you? Are they going to be stupid enough and put you in a bus to Mexico (my wife is from Colombia)? She does carry it but I as a citizen have no proof of citizenship that I can carry - it lies in a desk at home. I have never been asked to prove my citizenship by cops or anyone - only time I used my certificate was to get a passport and to file for my wife's immigration. So, maybe they will put me in a bus to Mexico next time - ha ha free vacation!

[Mononoke28 135]

I never carried my green card with me and I highly recommend not doing it. I know of two people, my sister included, whose purses were stolen and the hassle and cost of getting a new one is not worth it. If a immigration official asks for it, you still have the right to go get it. They can also check your status with immigration. But I alwasy treated it like my social security card, I never carried it with me and was never asked for it. Just my 2 cents.

Diana