Black & White answer to visiting COP...

W

wantmygcnow

Volunteer Moderator
Ok guys I just came back from germany with a RP and valid NP in hand. I gave the officer NP + RP and RP was at the bottom..he stamped everything and when he saw the RP, he freaked out...and put on my form "B" so anyways I was like whatever. In the B room, I gave him my paperwork(RP, NP, GC+Customs form). The officer called me and then asked standard questions, where I have been, how long, for what for..etc etc and then he saw my customs form which was already stamped so he goes "why did they send you here? You are already good to go..", He got all pissed and said wait let me check and put in the computer my A# and then he told me the story that in 2006, I applied for another RTD while one was valid and that doofus put in the computer that the valid one was lost... So thats why I was flagged and will be until I become a U.S Citizen because they have to verify identies everytime you claim you have lost a passport, green card or anything issued by USCIS. Weird thing is I never lost it, they took it from me by mistake...

Anyways so he said "If you use your NP, you wont be sent to secondary" and then I asked him the "rules" for using NP and visitng COP. I told him that I have no one at COP but this confuses a lot of valid ex-refugees/asylees and I was shocked that he was the NICEST officer.

In plain english, it is that if you fled persecution from a government that doesn't exist or people or army's that dont exist, YOU HAVE nothing to be scared of. I applied for asylum in 1992 and my govt is totally different and he said, I can use it and go to COP without any problems. He even told me to use my NP to travel so that its easier for me.

He even asked me how I got my NP and I said government has changed and he said ok that makes sense. He asked me then why do I have a rentry permit so i told him that I didnt know I could use my NP....he said that I can use my NP with no problems but said "Do what is easy for you, as long as you have a valid GC in hand, it doesn't matter for us."

The logical answer is that if lot of time has passed and things have changed, you are ok to use your NP and to travel. Even though i was sent to secondary, my experience wasn't a bad one since the officer was very nice and also discussing my trip to Germany and how I hurt my hand(rock climbing)...
 
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thats a relieve , im going to korea next april 11 ,
i have my rtd and renewed NP and gc on my hand right now.
FYI i can renew my NP because i dont have any problem with govt in my COP
but the problem is from some people in my COP that would persecute me if i go back and live there due my religion.
anyway , good information bro.
welcome back
 
Once again, RTD sucks don't use it if you have your NP available, don't even let them see that (whatever color it is right now) thing!
 
Double_V : Still agree with you on that issue about RTD.
Please everybody, stop using RTD + GC . Quite it,if you have NP available and the GC, use those.
If someone is not able to realize that since we got GC we no longer need RTD, and still considering an asylee, well, use RTD ONLY , but do not show IO's we are afraid of use our GC.
That nice booklet RTD freaks out all IO's.
Regards.
 
wantmygcnow said:
The logical answer is that if lot of time has passed and things have changed, you are ok to use your NP and to travel. Even though i was sent to secondary, my experience wasn't a bad one since the officer was very nice and also discussing my trip to Germany and how I hurt my hand(rock climbing)...
Click to expand...

Hi wantmygcnow,

First of all welcome back. I hope your trip to Germany was pleasant.

Thanks for sharing your experience. It's good to know what the IO's on POE think about these things. My question is if the situation in COP has changed now, is there a possibility that the will say "if things have changed in your COP, then you don't need your GC anymore" For instance, in my case, my asylum was approved in March 2000. I got my GC in March 2007 (backdated to March 2006). If the situation in my COP changes next year, could they say that I don't need my GC anymore and that I can go back to my country? Does living here for a certain period of time and having roots (house, business, family etc...) be enough to stay here?

I don't know if what I am trying to say is clear, but are there cases where GC is taken away because situation in COP has changed? Or is it possible that it can happen?
 
MgtGrl

Good question MgtGrl. actually this question haunts a lot of GC holders (Ex asylees/refugees). Point of the matter is, that your asylum/GC can be revoked if situation has improved in your country. But there is no precedence set by USCIS/INS of doing so in the past. For example, you can find a lot of ex-asylees from Bosnia and Afghanistan. Now that situation has changed no one has asked them to go back. USCIS is overwhelmed with work, they simply don't have time to prepare a case against an ex-asylee to send him back. I could also quote the example of people who fled from Nazis but they were never asked to go back.
Even if these kind of cases go to immigration court, the judge is more likely going to sympathize towards the individual who has started a new life here and may have business, kids and is a tax paying and law abiding person.
So in short, it could happen but doesn't happen or hasn't happen so far and chances are that it wouldn't happen.
 
MGTgrl said:
Hi wantmygcnow,

First of all welcome back. I hope your trip to Germany was pleasant.

Thanks for sharing your experience. It's good to know what the IO's on POE think about these things. My question is if the situation in COP has changed now, is there a possibility that the will say "if things have changed in your COP, then you don't need your GC anymore" For instance, in my case, my asylum was approved in March 2000. I got my GC in March 2007 (backdated to March 2006). If the situation in my COP changes next year, could they say that I don't need my GC anymore and that I can go back to my country? Does living here for a certain period of time and having roots (house, business, family etc...) be enough to stay here?

I don't know if what I am trying to say is clear, but are there cases where GC is taken away because situation in COP has changed? Or is it possible that it can happen?
Click to expand...

What PM said makes sense but I also know they can't take away GC at POE just because they think that you are safe if you go back. The officers at POE just have to make sure you are admissable into the United States. They verify that your documents are valid and thats basically it.

Yes they can refer it to the higher ups to look at your case again but the thing is unless you are a criminal, USCIS won't really go back and ask you to prove your case all over again. As PM said people from Bosnia, Afghanistan may be considered safe in someone eyes but the actual asylee/refugee can still claim persecution based on Religion, Race etc.....

As the officer told me that I should do what is comfortable for me. I told him that for me to get a Visa on my NP, it takes more time than on RP and I have to visit family in Germany every few months...He told me that do what makes you comfortable but be ready to be sent to Secondary because RP/RTD documents have been used a lot before to assume identities so thats one more reason they send you to secondary.

I am still going to use RP because it has much more respect than my NP. For instance, I had a RP with VISA to schgen but I still went to Switzerland..the Swiss border control didn't say anything EVEN though they don't accept RP according to their website.. He looked at the RP and flipped around and asked me if I live in the United States? I said yes, do you want to see my GC? he said No its ok and let me go...same when coming back to Germany.

I doubt that having a NP would've allowed me that much of freedom. As for being sent to secondary, I dont think its a big deal...They are doing their job.
 
They cannot revoke a green card based on changed country conditions. They can revoke asylum based on changed country conditions. They can revoke a green card only if they can link your conduct to a charge of fraud with respect to your asylum application.
 
Punjabi_Munda said:
Good question MgtGrl. actually this question haunts a lot of GC holders (Ex asylees/refugees). Point of the matter is, that your asylum/GC can be revoked if situation has improved in your country. But there is no precedence set by USCIS/INS of doing so in the past. For example, you can find a lot of ex-asylees from Bosnia and Afghanistan. Now that situation has changed no one has asked them to go back. USCIS is overwhelmed with work, they simply don't have time to prepare a case against an ex-asylee to send him back. I could also quote the example of people who fled from Nazis but they were never asked to go back.
Even if these kind of cases go to immigration court, the judge is more likely going to sympathize towards the individual who has started a new life here and may have business, kids and is a tax paying and law abiding person.
So in short, it could happen but doesn't happen or hasn't happen so far and chances are that it wouldn't happen.
Click to expand...

Logical analysis........there is different between law and practice...
 
Thanks

Thanks Faysal.
Thankful you are absolutely right and the same goes for your US citizenship. You can even be stripped off of your citizenship if they find out that your permanent residence was obtained based on a fraud.
 
want, PM,...thanks for your responses. I wish the asylum status was more black and white. We would have know how to handle things exactly!
 
Tecnically speaking, they can revoke your green card.. But it is highly unlikely... They have better things to do.
 
wantmygcnow said:
Ok guys I just came back from germany with a RP and valid NP in hand. I gave the officer NP + RP and RP was at the bottom..he stamped everything and when he saw the RP, he freaked out...and put on my form "B" so anyways I was like whatever. In the B room, I gave him my paperwork(RP, NP, GC+Customs form). The officer called me and then asked standard questions, where I have been, how long, for what for..etc etc and then he saw my customs form which was already stamped so he goes "why did they send you here? You are already good to go..", He got all pissed and said wait let me check and put in the computer my A# and then he told me the story that in 2006, I applied for another RTD while one was valid and that doofus put in the computer that the valid one was lost... So thats why I was flagged and will be until I become a U.S Citizen because they have to verify identies everytime you claim you have lost a passport, green card or anything issued by USCIS. Weird thing is I never lost it, they took it from me by mistake...

Anyways so he said "If you use your NP, you wont be sent to secondary" and then I asked him the "rules" for using NP and visitng COP. I told him that I have no one at COP but this confuses a lot of valid ex-refugees/asylees and I was shocked that he was the NICEST officer.

In plain english, it is that if you fled persecution from a government that doesn't exist or people or army's that dont exist, YOU HAVE nothing to be scared of. I applied for asylum in 1992 and my govt is totally different and he said, I can use it and go to COP without any problems. He even told me to use my NP to travel so that its easier for me.

He even asked me how I got my NP and I said government has changed and he said ok that makes sense. He asked me then why do I have a rentry permit so i told him that I didnt know I could use my NP....he said that I can use my NP with no problems but said "Do what is easy for you, as long as you have a valid GC in hand, it doesn't matter for us."

The logical answer is that if lot of time has passed and things have changed, you are ok to use your NP and to travel. Even though i was sent to secondary, my experience wasn't a bad one since the officer was very nice and also discussing my trip to Germany and how I hurt my hand(rock climbing)...
Click to expand...

Can asylees get Re-entry permit? I thought that only non-asylee GC holders can apply and get RP. Can you expand on how an asylee with GC can get RP? I prefer RP to RTD only because the RP is valid for two years.
 
thankful said:
You must have resided continuously in the U.S. for a period of five years following lawful admission to Permanent Resident status, must be actually physically present in the U.S. for at least half of that period and must not be outside the U.S. for one year or more at any given time.

They actually count the days to make sure you meet the second requirement listed above.
Click to expand...

Does anyone know how they keep track of when I leave the country since being a PR i no longer have to surrender I-94 upon leaving? Should I keep my itineraries as a proof of when i was out of the country? Thanks
 
Ppq

You'll hardly get a stamp on your way out of US at a US airport but most of the destination countries would put a stamp on your passport when you set foot on their land. For example, you left US on march 3rd 2007 from Chicago to Islamabad, Pakistan. No one stamped your passport at O'hare but when you arrive at Islamabad and go through immigration, your passport will be stamped that would have a date you set foot in Pakistan. Same thing will happen when you'll leave Pakistan, they will put an exit stamp on your passport. This happens even if you are carryng a Pakistani passport. Now when you'll mention this trip on your N-400, I/O can look at those stamps and can very easily verify the validity of the dates you mentioned in your application.
 
Hi fellows,

I am in India. I have been travelling in india with RTD.I have been visiting many places in India for two months and I am coming to USA in few days. I am Nepalese but never been to my COP.

now would you please suggest me what documents/proofs should I carry in Immigration other than RTD with me? All I have with me now is RTD with Indian valid visa.

Do you have any expericance in Immigration process in SFO port? Hoping to get your response fast....../NEPZ056
 
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What to submeit on COP Immigration before leaving for US

faysal said:
Logical analysis........there is different between law and practice...
Click to expand...

Faysal,

As an GC holder based on Asylum, Is it safe to show GC with AS6 (with my NP and return ticket US-Home country) upon leaving COP immigration? I heard some scary treatment when they found out you were applying for an asylum in US. If not, is there someway to do it safely? Thank you, you sounds very wise and knowledgeable and you listen well.
 
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