How many of you carry the actual GC on person at all times?

plastic card

JoeF or others,

This is somewhat off subject. Here is a question:

If you gc was employment based.....you want to renew your expired plastic card, 10 years down the road, will INS request anything in terms of employment verification?

I.e. how long did you work for the sponsoring company?

I couldn't answer my friend's question. Does anyone have any experience with this stuff?

Thanks,

ysolong
 
I have an alternate suggestion: How about carrying a certified copy of the GC (i.e. a copy which is certified by an official who states that he has compared the copy to the original). This would add more credence to the copy although admittedly still not meeting the standard of carrying the original card.

I did take a photocopy of my card to a notary public and asked him to certify the copy. He said that in the U.S. notaries cannot certify photocopies of original documents. Anybody have any idea who may be able to certify a copy of the GC?
 
Originally posted by JoeF
Huh? Where? The metallic area on the back is not computer readable. It just contains some microfilm data and is basically meant to prevent easy copying. The only computer readable stuff is in the 3 lines of encoded information on the bottom part of the front.
Click to expand...

Please see following website from manufacturers of the GC:
http://www.lasercard.com/Products/products2.htm

As you see the optical stripe has the capacity to hold upto 2.86MB of information. That is what I was referring to when I said I feared that constant carrying of the card on person may cause deterioration in the encoded data (eg. secondary to physical stresses on the optical stripe).

I am not sure if USCIS stores data on the optical strip - but the card is certainly capable of storing a significant amount of information.
 
Originally posted by JoeF
Interesting. Thanks for the link.
Doesn't look like it. All I can see on my card is a microfilm with my picture, signature, A#, etc. (and the heads of the presidents on top and the flags of the states on the bottom.) Nothing that looks as if it was data.
Click to expand...

JoeF - I don't think you would be able to discern the data in any "visible" manner. I think the optical stripe on the back of the GC is akin to the data encoding surface on a CD i.e. there is probably strip of optical media on the shiny rear surface with data tracks.......I am by no means a computer person so I have absolutely no idea. But on another interesting note, there is actually a disk drive which our GCs can be inserted into for data reading (link on the same site posted above).

Interesting!
 
Originally posted by JoeF
From their site (http://www.lasercard.com/home/homepage2.htm):
"Durability - Third party testing results show that the LaserCard optical memory card withstands extreme temperatures, electrostatic discharge, harsh environmental conditions, and rough handling."
And from http://www.lasercard.com/tech/technology2.htm
"LaserCards are made of polycarbonate, a rugged plastic used in jet-fighter canopies. It is estimated to be 1,000 times more durable than PVC credit cards."

From http://www.lasercard.com/tech/technology5.htm, it seems that they in fact have some data stored there: a serial number.
Click to expand...

Well that detailed description of how durable the card is supposed to be should allay any fears about degradation in quality caused by constant carrying on person.........
 
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What if the penalty for not carrying a GC was just a fine? Kind of like probation for a traffic violation. Get rid of severe penalties like imprisonment etc. (whether enforced today or not). This would allow those concerned about losing the GC (and the pain of going through all the paperwork, waits and hassles again) to not worry about serious penalties but also be aware that there is a financial consequence for not carrying it.

Note that this would apply only to those who can produce the actual GC for inspection within a short period (hours or days). If you do not have the GC or any legal documentation, it would be a different situation.
 
Can you simply just remain silent when asked by INS to show
your green card? They can not search you without a reason and
they can not use teh fact you do not sghow your card as evidence you don't carry the card because that is your
4th and 5th amendment rights.
 
Green Card - Carry it on person ?????

The Permanent Resident Card, Form I-551, is issued to all Permanent Residents as evidence of alien registration and their permanent status in the US. The card must be in your possession at all times. While that does not require that you have on your person at all times, it does require that you have a currently valid card and that you know where it is and can show it to an immigration officer, if requested

I hope the above brings an end to the above discussion.

I remember either AmericanWannabe or Huracan had posted the same earlier

I have read the above on the BCIS.gov website and I provide the link also

http://www.bcis.gov/graphics/howdoi/PermRes.htm
 
Re: Green Card - Carry it on person ?????

Originally posted by rsrgc
The Permanent Resident Card, Form I-551, is issued to all Permanent Residents as evidence of alien registration and their permanent status in the US. The card must be in your possession at all times. While that does not require that you have on your person at all times, it does require that you have a currently valid card and that you know where it is and can show it to an immigration officer, if requested

I hope the above brings an end to the above discussion.
Click to expand...


If only things were that simple, rsrgc.
According to the esteemed and knowledgeable JoeF, the BCIS.gov website is not to be trusted and just plain wrong in this matter.

He actually said something very similar to this in a posting on this same thread.
 
reply

The instruction that you have to carry the Green Card at all times is a very old and outdated law

I would follow the latest information that is present on the bcis.gov website.

Laws are written by many lawmakers - Regularly we have conflict due to this.

Many times these things happen.

Sometimes you have to take things with "a pinch of salt" and if that is not enough then take things with "a handfull of salt"

I keep a photocopy in my wallet and I am sure that Law officers are not totally rigid - They are very flexible. This is a very good country where Government interference is very minimal.

Specially in Los Angeles where I reside - You have so many different cultures that people are used to a large mix of people of different origin
 
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The AR-11 is to be filed if you move . Are there two versions
a) dont file
b) file

Also do you have any information about people who have been deported for not filing Ar-11 ?

whereas for the carrying of GC we have two statements

a) carry
b) may not carry

So I choose the latter "may not carry"

Yes I have been only once to San Diego and they did not check my documents - I did not even pass a check point.

So , just out of curiosity - when you pass a check point do you have to show them your Green card or is Driver's license sufficient.

And how many people do you know who have been prosecuted and fined $ 100 or put in jail for 30 days ?

Yes - the law may provide for strict penalties but my guess is , repeat my guess is it is not enforced

If it was so serious and BCIS was enforcing it my guess is it would have been in a lot of Armenian/Mexican/Indian newspapers
 
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Joef,

I did check on google and found a few references to people who are being deported/or proceedings have been started and got the impression that they are being targeted mainly because of terrorist activities

Do You agree ?
 
According to BCIS, you don't have to have the GC on you. Here's the quote from their webpage (check out their FAQ):

"The Permanent Resident Card, Form I-551, is issued to all Permanent Residents as evidence of alien registration and their permanent status in the US. The card must be in your possession at all times. While that does not require that you have on your person at all times, it does require that you have a currently valid card and that you know where it is and can show it to an immigration officer, if requested. The Permanent Resident Card currently is issued with a 10-year validity. You status as a Permanent Resident does not expire with the 10-year validity. Only the card expires. The card is only valid up to the expiration date and must be renewed before it expires.
""

Note how they obfuscate the "excemption" by saying you can show it to an immigration offcier if requested. My interpreation is (and I'm not a laywer).

1. Don't need to have it I'm going to the grocery store 1 mile away to get a coors light six-pack and some nachos.
2. Definitely have it if you 're going abroad (obviously!).
3. Better be safe and carry it if you're going to Disneyland and you live in Arizona! Chances are you won't get into trouble if you tell the immigration officer it's at home. However the Attorney General i(Ashcroft) s bigoted SOB and this attitude may be common in many BCIS employees. For every person who genuinely wants to help a legal immigrant, there might be someone who resents all foreigners in the country.
4. Always carry it when you're near the Mexican border! Check out the movie "Born in Eas LA" for some comic relief on this topic.

rgds,
sadiq
 
Originally posted by JoeF
Every alien, eighteen years of age and over, shall at all times carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card issued to him pursuant to subsection (d).

It is also repeated here:
"Section 264 of the Immigration and Nationality Act provides that, "Every alien in the United States shall be issued a certificate of alien registration or an alien registration receipt card in such form and manner and at such time as shall be prescribed under regulations." It also states, "Every alien, eighteen years of age and over, shall at all times carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card issued to him. Any alien who fails to comply with [these] provisions shall be guilty of a misdemeanor."
Click to expand...

JoeF - with regard to these regulations:

Is this rule applicable only to permanent residents (i.e. people who have been issued the alien registration card) or does it also apply to temporary visitors or non-immigrant workers (i.e. J-1 or H-1 etc).

When I was here on an H-1, I never carried my passport or I-94 with me. Nobody ever told me it was required and I was ignorant of any regulations that required me to.

Does this mean that people on H-1 or J-1 or even B-1s should carry passport (with entry stamp) and original I-94 on person at all times?
 
Carrying alien reg card

Applies to any alien (except illegal immigrants I guess haha) - in theory (you would be mad too IMO) a visitor/non-immig visa holder must carry the I140 approval AND the I94 at all times - this was reiterated post 9/11 and some large co lawyers advised their expats to comply - the rest is a matter of luck or racial profiling - not a legal op:(
 
You can make a copy of I-94 at home but carry the original I-94.
If you do not lose original, fine. If you lose it, give the photo
copy of I-94 to the airline when departing (and tell them the origina,l is lost). I don't see any big deal. Original I-94 is not as important as original green card.
 
But, why not carry the copy, and keep the original secret. When they ask the original, just say "lost". And even you "lost", you can "find" it back later. :)
 
>But, why not carry the copy, and keep the original secret. When >they ask the original, just say "lost". And even you "lost", you >can "find" it back later. :)

You can not lie to INS agent. They can kick you out
on account of obstruction of justice charge. It only takes
a little bit psychology training to tell if one is
lying or not.
 
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