Advance Parole Time

[sdevil98]

Hi Everybody,
How long does it normally take to get your advance parole document? I've heard from friends it takes about two months but from the USCIS case status online, it seems that it is now taking 5 or more months to get it. I applied for my advance parole in December and I have to travel out of country to attend my brothers wedding in March, but it doesn't seem like they will process mine by then, any ideas what can I do to get them to speed up my application?

~Sam

[umd_mba]

We applied for AP along with the 485 on November 20th . The AP was approved on Feb 5 (email). Haven't received the notice in the mail yet .
The average time to get AP is about 2.5 months from my expeirience , reading through people's posts .

[jadoo85]

Originally Posted by umd_mba

We applied for AP along with the 485 on November 20th . The AP was approved on Feb 5 (email). Haven't received the notice in the mail yet .
The average time to get AP is about 2.5 months from my expeirience , reading through people's posts .

My spouse's Advance Parole approved today. See my signature.

[txgirl]

think it depends where you are processing your application from (location). You may want to check the timelines, and you should be able to know when you can "expect" it

[sdevil98]

I applied to the Chicago Lockbox facility, and on their web site, it currently is showing that they are processing I-131's recieved Oct 12, but some people are getting theirs approved even though they filed in Nov! Could it be because they applied at different offices?

[doc75]

Is one required to be present in US untill the Advance Parole is approved or can he file for Advance Parole and leave the country and wait for approval to re-enter?

[dcAndreas]

Originally Posted by doc75

Is one required to be present in US untill the Advance Parole is approved or can he file for Advance Parole and leave the country and wait for approval to re-enter?

I always believed it had to be approved prior to the departure from the US, though you don't need the physical approval in your hand at departure, only when returning. So this is theoretically and legally possible, though risky: March 1st: email received regarding approval of AP, March 2nd: leave US, March 9th: AP document arrives via mail at your U.S. address, gets picked up by someone who takes care of your mail (and you trust), and s/he FedEx'es the document to you in home country; March 12th: you receive AP document; March 13th: you fly back to U.S. with your AP doc in hand.

Recently I read somewhere else that all you had to do before leaving the US, is to apply for AP (you still need it to return, though). However, that seems to be wrong! Here the important passage from the I-485 instructions (p.6 bottom, my highlighting):

Your departure from the United States (including brief visits to Canada or Mexico) constitutes an abandonment of your adjustment of status application, unless you are granted permission to depart and you are inspected upon your return to the United States. Such permission to travel is called ''advance parole.''

[Al Southner]

Anyone who leaves the US with under the impression that their AP will be approved, and their significant other will mail to them, be warned.

It is becoming increasingly routine for NBC to delay the AP, because they have send your file to the DO and your interview notice is being mailed. As such, when you naively leave the country with the hope that this is going to be approved and husband or wife will mail the AP abroad, you will be in for a rude awakening. Once the USCIS send an interview letter, getting them to work on your AP is really difficult as they feel like you should be more concerned about getting your GC and travel freely. Also, they can't pass an opportunity to screw you for the fee of AP.

So, when your interview letter arrives in the mail and you husband or wife is the only person in the US, you are abroad, how the heck do you plan to come back to the US when your AP isn't approved? It is best to wait to see the AP in the mail, and go crazy on your world tour before the interview, knowing that you will be allowed back into the country as soon as your interview date is set. For all of you who leave with the hope and trust in the USCIS that all will be done as you wish: do leave at your own peril. For most people, it is a lot easier to fight an injustice from USCIS from within the US instead of being abroad.

There are people never get their AP approved, and their GC are approved because of the fast processing in some DO. Lastly, if you were an overstay of more than couple of years, my advise is that stay put till you have a GC physically in your hands because the POE officers can mistreat you and deny you entry to the US, even with a valid AP. So, unless there is a major pressing issue forcing you to leave the US, then please stay here before you cause unnecessary issues for yourself and spouse. Again, leaving without an AP cause an abandoment of your case if the AP isn't approved, because the I-94 will be taken from your passport and send back to USCIS, who will immediately kill your petitions as you left the country. You can't expect USCIS to read your mind, oh.... she or he applied for AP, so once he or she is approved she or he will back into the country. Oh...then let us not cancel or deny this petition because we have been so slow in processing her or his AP. No... no...no... you are going to lose big time...

[doc75]

The question is, is it valid to leave after applying for Advance Parole before getting apporoval. If it is then the later the stuff is at once descretion. If is not valid to leave untill the AP is approved then does not make any sense of even thinking of leaving. Does any one have a legitimate answer to it? Has anyone on this forum traveled after applying for AP but before approval?

[Durres Special]

...think any one in this forum or in the entire US of A will ever try to leave without an Advance Parole in his (her) hands. It's plain and simple and pure stupidity...

[pianoplayer]

Originally Posted by Durres Special

...think any one in this forum or in the entire US of A will ever try to leave without an Advance Parole in his (her) hands. It's plain and simple and pure stupidity...

Hi:

You will be surprised at how many people do this. And then they come to you, expecting you to clean up the mess. You are correct ---- leaving without AP in hand is "simple and pure stupidity."

[doc75]

Guys what is your opinion about this thread:

http://immigrationportal.com/showthr...advance+parole

Do you still say AP approval is still required before travel or just apply before leaving is valid?

Originally Posted by pianoplayer

Hi:

You will be surprised at how many people do this. And then they come to you, expecting you to clean up the mess. You are correct ---- leaving without AP in hand is "simple and pure stupidity."

[kbhalla]

Originally Posted by doc75

Guys what is your opinion about this thread:

http://immigrationportal.com/showthr...advance+parole

Do you still say AP approval is still required before travel or just apply before leaving is valid?

Maybe the link is pointing at the wrong thread but these are two 'somewhat' separate issues.

[PraetorianXI]

Originally Posted by kbhalla

Maybe the link is pointing at the wrong thread but these are two 'somewhat' separate issues.

Leave dead/old threads alone please...

[kbhalla]

Originally Posted by PraetorianXI

Leave dead/old threads alone please...

Dead thread .. yes
Relevant issue .. yes

but ok.

[susan ward]

Originally Posted by PraetorianXI

Leave dead/old threads alone please...

Sorry I do not understand why you said this,

There are new members joining all the time and if an old thread is relevant then I cannot see a problem in making reference to it

[PraetorianXI]

Originally Posted by susan ward

Sorry I do not understand why you said this,

There are new members joining all the time and if an old thread is relevant then I cannot see a problem in making reference to it

"Member A: I wonder what should I do about X situation...?"
"Member B: It was discussed 6 months ago, here <link>"

--

"Member C: I wonder about this Y thing...?"
6 months later... out of the blue
"Member D: maybe the link is pointing at the wrong thread but these are two 'somewhat' separate issues"

--

But ok...