Entry on Advance Parole - experience in different US Airports

H

hsubbu

Registered Users (C)
Folks

Just wanted to share my experience with travelling on advance parole and entering through different US airports.

True to form, USCIS, (INS) seems to have no consistent pattern in handling Advance Parole at the immigration counter at different ports of entry.

Here is how my experience has been with me.


August 2002 - Entered in Detroit, Inspector asked to see EAD card and also took one copy of the advance parole and retained it
Was sent into secondary inspection I hope I remember correctly.

January 2003 - Entered through Newark Airport. A perfunctory question as to whether I worked for same employer and whether he is processing my Green Card. said Yes

Went into secondary inspection. remember waiting for nearly an hour , very nearly missing my flight connection.

March 2003 - Chicago Inspector asked to see EAD, stamped both copies and returned the only copy

January 2004 - Dulles Washington DC, Again sent to secondary inspection waited for nearly an hour , officer gave back both originals of AP
The really odd thing was, I was not asked to do the finger printing at the counter like everyone else was at the new photo+fp matchine.

Quite a wait though once in the line and again for 50 minutes in secondary inspection. I hope to avoid Dulles if I could in future if I leave the US.

The officer in the secondary inspection room, made me manually affix my finger prints , made photocopies after that and gave me back both originals.

I am not sure what purpose this serves was quite redundant as I have already been finger printed


March 2004 - Chicago airport - the inspector in the visitor line, simply stamped both original APs, and sent me on my way. I actually scheduled a 4 hour layover for my domestic connection worrying about immigration formalities and I was out claiming my baggage in less than 20 minutes

The whole point of this long post is , of all the airports, it appears Chicago is possibly the quickest to get through for a person entering on AP

Anybody have a preference over which airport?

thanks!

Hari
 
thanks for sharinig your exp.
So it means you normally have to go thru sec inspection even if you re-use the same AP again.
Did you ever travel on AP when new AP was pending ?

thanks
 
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AP in different airport

This is difficult to answer. Generally , most airports seem to send you into secondary inspection by default.

I remember in Dulles Washington DC in January this year, the officer at the counter, just made a folder, containing a. two originals of AP, b. passport , filled I 94 and customs forms and simply ordered me (yes was really curt) to go into secondary inspection

I was resigned to my fate and remember waiting nearly 1 hour . for my turn, while the two officers inside seemed to be engrossed in whatever they were doing.

One younger person requested to expedite that he had a connecting flight but he was again asked to just sit tight and was let go after another 10 minutes had passed. I must have been there for at least 50 minutes on top of waiting for my turn to the counter official , who sent me into secondary. So there was easily a total 2 hour gone right there.

This time I budgeted for 4 hours in Chicago last Saturday-03/20/2004 and to my amazement, the officer at the counter, saw the old AP , saw the finger prints taken on an earlier trip, endorsed the AP and let me on my way. It all took about 15 minutes. No secondary.

So ONLY CHICAGO is an exception. Same happened to me in March 2003 when I was travelling with family.

So secondary inspection is the norm. Not sure where they will finger print, at the counter or inside the secondary inspection room.

Question # 2

I have seen repeated posts by "poongunranar" advising against travel when any AP application is pending.

My lawyer says it is alright so long as I have a current AP that is valid. I have not done that so far.

I am going to apply for a third AP next week and chances are it will not come before October 2004 at the earliest and my current AP is valid until October 2004

Under pressing circumstances I will have to take the chance of travelling using current valid AP even though a new AP is pending

It is kind of nonsensical that one cannot travel with an existing AP when AP approval takes nearly 8 months. I myself had to wait 6-1/2 months. I

I heard some others are waiting since July 2003. Such pathetic handling.

Anyway, this has been my experience so far .

Thanks!

hsubbu
 
Hsubbu,
Thanks a lot for sharing your experience.
When you entered through Chicago, have you ever been questioned why you bring 2 instead of 3 AP originals with you? The reason I'm asking is that a friend of mine entered through Chicago in January 2004. The inspector gave him a hard time regarding why he brought only 2 original copies instead of 3. He even threatened that he could deny entry because of this. Have you ever had similar experience?

Thanks.
 
AP experience

Hi

First time I am reading about getting 3 originals. I am in Texas Service center and about to apply for 3rd AP now

All I got was 2 originals. I dont even know that people get 3 originals


I have always had just 2 originals. In fact last year March 2003, in Chicago, I had just one original with me because in Newark in January 2003, the immigration officer retained one copy.

So I remember making at least two entries into the US with just one original leave alone 3

This again speaks of the inconsisentcy of INS , leaving us all wondering

I have always had the fear that due to some unknown technicality I could be stopped at port of entry and denied entry.
Your example is just the kind of fear that I have.

thks

hsubbu
 
my experience

I entered the US using AP only once so far.
It happened in Seattle, WA at August, 2002.
I joined the long standing line to the registers for non-immigrants. Because many of us had stop (don't be mistaken with connection) at Seattle and should board the same plane a personnel of the air company was trying to help us. They were checking all our documents to figure out where we should be directed. Looking at my documents they sent me to the register without any signs what it is for. There was a sitting line. I was told to put all my documents on the desk, sit down and wait. It took about 1 hour before it became my turn. Without any questions both forms were stamped, one of them returned to me and I went through.
In two days the same way was done by my family. I told my wife about the unsigned register and she went there. She was asked whether her husband still is working at the same company (I'm a primary petitioner of employment-based GC). Answer was yes, both APs were stamped, one of them returned and they were allowed to go through. She told me that it took more than one hour.
 
Agree with hsubbu. Chicago was fast - feb 2004

I entered with AP thru Chicago in feb 2004.
This was the first time I used the AP.
I gave only one copy. The officer stamped and gave the same back to me. It was fast (couple of minutes).
No questions were asked.
No secondary Inspection.
No FP/Photograph were taken.

WIS
 
good post

Used AP twice

LAX is easy. Go to counter 1 or 2 present your AP and they will stamp it and you go out. this was march2003. NO questions asked , they kept a photocopy of my AP. so do carry them with you.

SFO they send you to secondary inspection . You put your papers on desk they verified it and stamped and i was on my way out in 20 mins.
 
AP Entry into US

wonderfull

past fingerprints

when I entered on AP in January through Dulles Airport

I was sent into secondary, and they manually made me take an imprint from a stamp pad and then affix them on the advance parole document

Kind of odd, because , they did not make me do it at the counter, where they had the camera and a counter for finger print

And I have already had FP taken as part of the I-485 process back in June 2003. So no idea what purpose the FP on the
Advance Parole is meant for

When I re entered the US last week on March 20 through Chicago no FP was taken.

Thanks!
hsubbu
 
i went through detroit airport last jan 10,2004 ,then sent to secondary inspection ,and was asked the usual questions, after less than 5 mins ,stamped the advance parole and passport .thats it .
 
how do they know if AP was pending ?

How would they know if somebody has AP application pending (previous one has expired) and while travelling abroad ?

For example, if we have applied for AP (previous APs have expired) and my wife leaves US for India and I stay in USA till I get AP approvals. Once I get approvals for both then I go to India. While comming we both will have approved APs in hand.

Is there a way for them to know that my wife had actually left before AP was actually approved and hence ground for entry denial ?

Is this tracked with I-94 ? what if we do not surrener for I-94 while leaving ?

PLEASE RESPOND
 
All pending applications from a candidate show up as a data item when they punch your I485 Receipt number or A#
 
YES, but what if I leave USA only after I get both our APs approved and come back with wife. How would they know that wife had left before the AP was approved ?
 
duration of stay abroad on AP

Folks,

I have two questions:

1) What documents do you carry with you (in addition to the AP) when you leave the country with a pending I-485?

2) How many days are you allowed to stay abroad in a given trip? Cumulatively in a calendar year? Cumulatively during the validity period of the AP?

Any responses are highly appreciated!

Thanks,
-Madhu
 
Hi
Has anyone here any experience of using AP at BWI or Philly airport while returning to US ? please share

thanks
 
AC21 and re-entry with AP ?

Anybody done this? At SFO specifically?

It seems that people entering on AP are asked "are you
working for the same employer". Was wondering why
and what if the answer is "no" ?
 
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