Canadian border crossing after marriage but before green card

[Walter 0]

We plan on marrying in New York State and applying for the I485. I am US and she is Canadian. Can she still travel freely to Montreal to fulfill the child custody agreement prior to receiving the Green Card?

[Karly-n-Bruce 0]

No, she will need AP (Advance Parole) papers in order to cross the border before she receives her Green Card.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Once you marry, she cannot leave and return to the US unless she has an Advance Parole (AP) in her possession or her Green Card. If she leaves the States without either of those she will be turned back at the border and not allowed to enter the US, and her application for I-485 will be considered abandoned. She would need to start all over again by pursuing a K-3 or a CRI through the Consulate in Montreal. She applies for an Advance Parole at the same time as the I-485 and it is supposed to take about 90 days to be approved so she can plan on staying in the US for at least that long.

[Walter 0]

Once you marry, she cannot leave and return to the US unless she has an Advance Parole (AP) in her possession or her Green Card. If she leaves the States without either of those she will be turned back at the border and not allowed to enter the US, and her application for I-485 will be considered abandoned. She would need to start all over again by pursuing a K-3 or a CRI through the Consulate in Montreal. She applies for an Advance Parole at the same time as the I-485 and it is supposed to take about 90 days to be approved so she can plan on staying in the US for at least that long.

Thank you Kathryn.

We will continue to do research and read this site. It is so hard to make decisions with our lack of knowledge.

Thanks for your help.

[Walter 0]

No, she will need AP (Advance Parole) papers in order to cross the border before she receives her Green Card.

Thank you