Perm resident detained at airport for not having GC

I have, in Pakistan. The robber had an AK-47 pointed at me. Having said that, the programming my folks performed on me, "the law is the law" is stronger than that incident :)


Jackolantern said:
I take it you've never been robbed at knife or gunpoint.
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Triple Citizen said:
I have, in Pakistan. The robber has an AK-47 pointed at me. Having said that, the programming my folks performed one me, "the law is the law" is stronger than that incident :)
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Well, I am glad that Rosa Parks and some other notable individuals helped me to see the difference between when "the law is the law" and "the law is an a.s.s".
 
When I was still an LPR, I used to carry a photocopy of my GC in my wallet. While this was technically not following the rules, I considered this a compromise between the danger of losing the GC and not having any proof of LPR status at all. An IO actually suggested that to me at some point (unofficially, of course).

During my nine years of LPR status, I never had to show my GC to anyone other than to reenter the country, though.
 
truedesi said:
... How do you prove you are a citizen? (I mean you wont carry Nat Cert or Passport all the time). ...
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A US citizen does not have to carry a prove of citizenship at all times. I remember at the oath ceremony the CIS official said that now, as American citizens, we have a legally binding right to orally declare ourselves as citizen without any proof thereof, and that it's up to the proper authorities to further investigate the claim. On the other hand if someone who's not a citizen claims to be one and the authority find out otherwise, the consequences are a lifelong ban from the US without a possibility of a waiver.

Cheers.
 
Triple Citizen said:
Having said that, the programming my folks performed on me, "the law is the law" is stronger than that incident :)
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I am with you TC.

If America is good enough to allow me to become a LPR then I am abiding by **all** of its Laws.

It is not up to me to decide which Laws I will follow and which ones I will ignore. That's the basis of anarchy and there is no place for that in a democracy. If one does not like a Law then use the available channels of a democracy to effect changes.

I carry my GC in its protective envelope in my wallet and I have done so for 8 years and will continue until USCIS takes it in exchange for Citizenship.
 
WhichWay2Go said:
I carry my GC in its protective envelope in my wallet and I have done so for 8 years and will continue until USCIS takes it in exchange for Citizenship.
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Or until your life becomes hell when a robber takes your wallet which has both your GC and driver's license/state ID.
 
What I did when I was a LPR was still get a permit to reenter the United States. I carried that around with me and kept my GC at home. I was asked to show it only once--near the border in San Diego.
 
I always take my passport and GC to the airport as official ID regardless of where I'm traveling. I think the counter and security folks have gotten used to checking passport/GC, not just driver's license, all the time now.

On a side note, my sister-in-law who is Canadian had issues on an intra-Canada flight because she didn't have a copy of her birth certificate to prove citizenship.... That said, I've always found Canadian immigration a gazillion times more polite than US immigration folks.
 
I was never asked for (and I never volunteered) a green card on an internal US flight. I travel a lot.
 
FriscoDude said:
I lost it once a few years ago so I never carry it with me. It took me nine months to get another one.
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Interesting, I lost mine also but took only lest than a month to get another one and we are from same DO with you.
Also, I was never asked for a green card on an internal US flights.
 
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When I was a PR I always carried a photocopy of my green card at all times in my wallet. When traveling interstate or overseas I always carried the original card. We have had numerous discusssions on this topic in the green card forum. Now that I am a US citizen all I need to do if I am ever asked is to say I am a USC. The law does not require me to carry proof of my citizenship. All of a sudden my word is good enough for USCIS:)
 
Yah I've never had to show my GC in the country for any reason, but if I go close to the border, I take it.

As for the sleeve, I didn't get one, I don't think. I got my GC in 06. Is that a new thing?
 
brahmachari99 said:
How did you get your citizenship in 2 years and 11 months? Don't you have to complete a full 3 years (if marriage based) before you take an oath?
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Apparently it took a month for the card to arrive after it was approved, so he was only able to physically carry it for 2 years and 11 months.
 
I got the card 2 months after my AOS was approved. I applied 88 days before my 3rd GC anniversary and my N-400 took exactly 4 months to be processed. Thus the 2 year 11 months figure :)

brahmachari99 said:
How did you get your citizenship in 2 years and 11 months? Don't you have to complete a full 3 years (if marriage based) before you take an oath?
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