Travel can be confusing, whether an individual is coming in as a non-immigrant or as a green card holder. These three common questions and answers point non US citizen travelers in the right direction.
A. What documents do visitors and immigrants to the United States need? Where and when do they obtain them?
Temporary Visitors for Pleasure or Work:
- Passport issued by their home country.
- Visa, issued by the United States Consulate (generally in their home country) before entering the U.S.
Green Card Applicants:
- Passport issued by their home country.
- Advance Parole, issued by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), to those who have applied for a green card while in the U.S. before leaving the U.S. for roundtrip travel.
Permanent Residents (Green Card Holders):
- Passport issued by their home country.
- Green card issued by USCIS.
- Reentry Permit, provided by USCIS to current green card holders who will be living outside the U.S. for an extended period of time. Issued before they leave to live outside the U.S.
B. What happens at the US border?
While traveling, both permanent residents and temporary, non-immigrant, visitors will encounter U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
CBP officers are in airports, at sea ports and at land borders. The officer, is the individual who stamps your passport, enters the data into computer systems, allows you into the country or not, and indicates what your status is and how long you may stay.
It is essential that as a passport is stamped with the date of expiration of travel, that you review that stamp immediately. If the information is incorrect, or not what was expected, the traveler needs to politely inquire at that time.
C. What are the small details that loom large when traveling?
- Some countries require two blank facing pages in a passport when entering a country. If you are a frequent traveler for business or pleasure, it is important to ensure that those two blank facing pages are available for entry to those countries which require it. Some countries add additional pages to the passport. Frequent travelers should inquire about this and if possible, have it done.
- All travelers need to ensure that their passport from their home country is not set to expire shortly after they enter the U.S. If it is, the CBP officer will cut short the traveler’s visit to the U.S. to coincide with the passport expiration date.
- A common misconception is that if you have been issued a visa, reentry permit or green card that you will then automatically be allowed back in to the U.S. In fact, every time you are at the border with all your documents you, are applying for entry to the U.S. Entry is never guaranteed.
In Summary
Multiple agencies have responsibility for required travel documents and multiple agencies impact travel permission. Non-US Citizens considering travel into or out of the United Sates should be aware of those various needs and agencies before securing travel plans.
When to call me for help:
Call me if you realize that the stamp in your passport is incorrect. Call me if you are not allowed into the country. And, call me before you travel, especially if you are not sure which combination of travel documents you need. I can help can prevent actions that may derail your immigration status and ability to travel for business or pleasure.
