Do you really carry your GC around with you at all times?

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Just curious whether folks actually do this? They instruct you to carry it at all times, as this is the law, but frankly I'm kind of nervous.

This is an important document, not exactly a useless library card, ya know? If my purse was stolen or gawd forbid, I just lost my wallet myself, I would be ticked off.

I'm honestly not sure why I need to carry it and couldn't I take a photo copy at the very least and carry that? I obviously can produce the real thing if requested...I like keeping it safe at home in our safe I don't expect to be flagged down by immigration police ever, I don't live in a high risk area

When travelling I will of course have the real thing.

[Jasman0717 9]

Claudeth carries hers

[Kez/JWolf 6]

I carry mine....

I am not in a high risk area but others here where I live have been asked for it and one person who does not carry his was held for 6 hours while they checked with USCIS.....

I do not wish to see the inside of a detention cell while I wait for USCIS to confirm my status so its easy to carry it with me...

I do not keep it in my wallet I have a small card holder that contains my greencard and DL and credit cards....

Kez

[Mary Lou 681]

Gary carries his at all times.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Good point - just seems lame to me. I don't think Landed immigrants in Canada carry their paperwork around at all times (I know my best friend's husband does not. Dunno, make me wonder, are they just waiting around with nothing to do? Under what circumstances would they need it? Routine traffic ticket type of thing or what? As an english speaking white Canadian, I don't look any different and I barely sound different then the locals....just wondering.....i just begin to wonder is they pick out certain individuals...

Thanks...just pondering the stupidity of life

I carry mine....

I am not in a high risk area but others here where I live have been asked for it and one person who does not carry his was held for 6 hours while they checked with USCIS.....

I do not wish to see the inside of a detention cell while I wait for USCIS to confirm my status so its easy to carry it with me...

I do not keep it in my wallet I have a small card holder that contains my greencard and DL and credit cards....

Kez

[raymaga 25]

My daughter and I both carry our GC's with us at all times, but I have the same concerns about either one of us losing them.

I'm wondering who would ask you to see your GC and when? We just carry ours because "we're supposed to".

[Lona.C. 16]

hey Udella , did you already get the card or anything in mail yet ??

and yes when I lived in canada I carried the canadian resident card everywhere i went ,

I made a copy and got it nothorized , kept the copy at home but carried the orig card with me ,

thats what i will do with this card too , gona get a copy nothorized to keep at home and carry the orig with me

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Hiya Lona - Yes - I got my GC and both our welcome letters on Saturday.

I'm hoping for my daughter's GC tomorrow, little nervous that it didn't arrive same day, but I'm sure it will arrive shortly.

I am really happy that I can file the AP away and happily travel to Canada at Easter and not have to worry about being stuck at the border when we cross back into the US.

We are heading to the SSN office as soon as my daughter receives hers so that she can get one and I can have the 'With work authorization' wording removed. Things have really come around in teh last couple weeks, feeling positive about getting on with life finally

[N360 0]

Good point - just seems lame to me. I don't think Landed immigrants in Canada carry their paperwork around at all times (I know my best friend's husband does not. Dunno, make me wonder, are they just waiting around with nothing to do? Under what circumstances would they need it? Routine traffic ticket type of thing or what? As an english speaking white Canadian, I don't look any different and I barely sound different then the locals....just wondering.....i just begin to wonder is they pick out certain individuals...

Thanks...just pondering the stupidity of life

I carry mine....

I am not in a high risk area but others here where I live have been asked for it and one person who does not carry his was held for 6 hours while they checked with USCIS.....

I do not wish to see the inside of a detention cell while I wait for USCIS to confirm my status so its easy to carry it with me...

I do not keep it in my wallet I have a small card holder that contains my greencard and DL and credit cards....

Kez

Someone had posted a story here about someone being stopped for a traffic violation.

When the officer noticed that the driver only had a two-year drivers license, he asked why. Drivers license are normally good for five years.

The driver told the officer it is because he has a conditional resident status. As soon as he said that, the cop asked for a green card. When the driver could not produce a green card, he or she was held up in jail until they could clear everything up. It was only for a few hours but still. Do you really want to see the insides of of a cell?

Edited March 3, 2008 by NoelandTintin

[tom_g 3]

I think a greencard is far too important to carry around. not only could you lose it or get mugged for it, but if it falls into the wrong hands you've got the worst type of identity fraud on your hands. And no doubt there's a 6 month wait to get a replacement...

a colour photocopy would give a cop enough leeway to at least put you in a decent cell whilst everything gets cleared up

[Cassie 8]

I am required to carry my green card around at all times, so I do.

[Melyssa 0]

I carry mine....

I am not in a high risk area but others here where I live have been asked for it and one person who does not carry his was held for 6 hours while they checked with USCIS.....

I do not wish to see the inside of a detention cell while I wait for USCIS to confirm my status so its easy to carry it with me...

I do not keep it in my wallet I have a small card holder that contains my greencard and DL and credit cards....

Kez

Out of curiosity why was he asked about his status?

[Kez/JWolf 6]

I carry mine....

I am not in a high risk area but others here where I live have been asked for it and one person who does not carry his was held for 6 hours while they checked with USCIS.....

I do not wish to see the inside of a detention cell while I wait for USCIS to confirm my status so its easy to carry it with me...

I do not keep it in my wallet I have a small card holder that contains my greencard and DL and credit cards....

Kez

Out of curiosity why was he asked about his status?

He was asked if he was a Citizen.... when he said no they asked for his greencard or passport.....

Kez

[ED*Riza 0]

I carry mine all the time..

[Reba 2]

There was a thread about this just the other day. As a green card hold you are required by law to carry it with you at al times. If for some reason you are stopped and they ask your status and you don't have it with you, they can toss you in a holding cell until such time that *they* can confirm your status.

As Kez said, I'm not going to sit in a cell until someone can get hold of USCIS to confirm my status. And who knows if the locals wouldn't just leave you sit there to stew a while just because they can? Its easier to just carry the dang card with me. Its no different than needing to have my driver's license with me when I'm driving, or my security pass for work if you work somewhere that has security passes.