resident1374
Registered Users (C)
Can you travel after giving interview? My wife's interview is tomorrow and we are planning to travel to Canada this coming weekend. Any problems in travelling for few days?
Can you travel after giving interview?
- Thread starter resident1374
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Triple Citizen
Registered Users (C)
No. Unless an applicant's physical presenence numbers are so border line that a vacation of a few days will take him/her into negative territoy.
If your wife becomes a US citizen at the oath ceremony on the same day the interview is given, your wife will need a US passport to enter USA from Canada. If your wife completes the interview and oath is not scheduled on the same day, she can travel, but she will need her foreign passport and her green card to enter USA.
As for you,
1) If you are a US citizen, you will need a passport to enter USA unless you have passport card or enhanced DL. (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html)
2) If you are not a US citizen and you have a green card, you need your foreign passport and green card to enter USA.
3) If you are not a green card holder, you need a US visa (any documents like travel document) and your foreign passport to enter USA.
One of my colleague who lives and works in London became a US citizen last February. She flew back for the interview and then she flew back again for the oath (her husband was in the US Army so I think she was ok with living overseas).
Right after taking the oath she flew back to London on her brazilian passport (which had the UK visa in it anyways). She had to go back to the US and she used her brazilian passport + certificate of natz.
The CBP agent welcomed her home and just told her to apply for a US passport asap.
Physical presence requirement is only up until time of application, not until oath.
Passport card and enhanced DL is only valid for land and sea travel to Canada.
phillydude411
Registered Users (C)
What is enhance DL and do all states have that? I've never heard about it.
Driver's licenses that meet security requirement of REAL act. Only a few states currently have enhanced DL.
That is if you travel by air. If you enter the USA by sea or land, you only need a GC. Canadians may require the passport though.
When the West Hemisphere Travel Initiative entered its final stage (1 June 2009), American and Canadian citizens could no longer enter the USA with usual DL and a birth certificate. Now, they will need either a passport, passport card or an enhanced DL. The only reason EDL were introduced was because it would cost much less than the passport book ($15 extra to upgrade from usual DL to EDL versus $100 for the first-time passport applicants).
EDL indeed satisfy the REAL ID requirements, but it was not the main reason they were implemented. The main reason was for the Canada and Mexico travel. REAL ID licences will be available to American citizens and legal immigrants alike whilst the EDL will always be available to American citizens only.
Dont get confused. Yes, you can travel between interview and oath. Just that you have to bring your passport again when you come back for oath for verification of the travel. However, after the oath, you wont have your Green Card anymore and you will need to apply for a passport to travel outside of US.
The EDL is a new initiative thats started not too long ago but that too takes few weeks to get it. For instance, in WA state, you can get an enhanced drivers license, which is equalivalent to the Passport Card ( meaning only land/sea travels to Canada/Mexico). But that usually is taking 2 months for scheduled appointments. You cannot go to the regular DMV office and get it.