Frequent Work travel on Conditional GC

[spartan_y]

Hi!

I think I'm in a one of its kinds situation w.r.t my Conditional GC.

I got my Conditional GC in MAY 2010 due to marriage to a US Citizen. I was working with the same US company before and after I got my GC. My work involves extensive traveling to Canada and the Caribbean islands as my company has clients in those regions.

Since MAY 2010 till date, I've made one trip to Jamaica and 6 trips to Canada, all work related travel, each trip was for a week or 2 - the total duration of all these trips amounts to ~ 2 months. I've never had a problem entering the US until my last trip to Canada. I have a Conditional US GC, Indian Passport and a US Re-entry permit (had got this just in case). I've never been outside the US for more than 6 months though - neither cumulative nor at a stretch.

During all my trips, I never showed my Re-entry permit to the IO at POE as I was told by my attorney to use it only if I'm outside the US for a long time (6 months or more) and neither did any of the IO asked me about it. While I was returning from my last trip to Canada (2 weeks), the IO did ask me a lot of questions and I also showed him the business travel letter issued by my US based Company. He was suspecting that I was working in Canada! (still wondering why a 2 week travel made him think so). I was justifying my travel and also told him that I have a re-entry permit as well. He then told me that I'm supposed to show the re-entry permit everytime I re-enter the US, no matter how long the trip is...a day, month or a year, I need to show them the re-entry permit.

He then took my re-entry permit and stamped it (for the 1st time). He then told me that it is good to have a re-entry permit and it protects me etc. and he then let me in. But that confused me a lot and my questions are as below:

1. Out of the 7 trips that I made outside US, I showed my Re-entry permit only for the last trip. Am I in trouble for not presenting it for the other 6 trips?

2. Even though I was outside the US for only 2 weeks, the IO stamped my Re-entry permit for the last trip. Is that a good or a bad thing?

3. Does having 7 work related trips outside the US raise a red flag? I do have a letter from my company for each of my trips, have also maintained the entry/exit dates and boarding passes.

4. Based upon my situation above, would I be encountering issues during the removal of conditions OR naturalization process because of my travel on Conditional GC?

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks a lot!

 

[Jackolantern]

1. No. It's just that one officer being anal.

2. Doesn't mean anything.

3. It may raise a red flag, but will be inconsequential once you explain it. Just make sure to keep track of all the trips so you can list them accurately when you apply for citizenship. Don't rely on passport stamps alone, because they often don't stamp your passport even though they recorded your entry in the system.

4. No. You may be questioned about the trips, but once you explain them you'll get through.

 

[Jackolantern]

Note that my answers were based on the assumption that you're consistently spending more time inside the US than outside each year, with all trips being short like under 3 months. If you start doing something like a string of 5 trips of 4 months each it gets more complicated.

 

[GCman2005]

according to me, you fine.
you dont have to show him a reentry permit unless asked

 

[spartan_y]

Hi Jackolantern, GCman2005 thanks a lot for your feedback! makes me feel relieved!

My trips have always been short (never exceeded 2 weeks per trip) Since I got my conditional GC in MAY 2010, the accumulated period that I've been outside US is ~ 2 months.

To be on the safer side I've decided not to travel anymore till I get my conditions removed.

Thanks again!

 

[Jackolantern]

To be on the safer side I've decided not to travel anymore till I get my conditions removed.

Don't restrict your travel because of one stupid officer. Travel again if you want. And they don't even look at your travel history for the removal of conditions (unless they have reason to believe you're spending so much time abroad that you're actually living apart), so stopping your travel isn't going to help anyway.