Should we still carry the green card domestically

Concluded by me before, and stated by USCIS website, leaving no doubts for the minds that carry aqua. You should have ability to produce the I-551 card if asked by an agency within a reasonable time. You should have the ability to produce the card, when seeking a benefit. Thats it !! no more no less, everything with reason' n measurement.

And litmu, making photocopies of ones GC is prohibited unless seeking a benefit.
 
JoeF said:
How often do you lose your wallet, and how often does it get stolen???
Do you keep your credit cards at home as well, for fear of losing them or having them stolen?
As I have seen in threads about this topic before, sooner or later somebody posts about this non-problem of losing the wallet...
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How often an officer ask for green card???
That's not the point. Credit card, DL are easily replacable. For cerdit card you get replaced card free (with little bit hassle for cancelling the old number). But for green card, you need to pay $185 plus long delay of the absense of this card (which can stop your immediate foreign travel).
Years back it was very common for people to carry social security card in their wallet. Nowadays hardly people do that - because identity theft is so common.
If we had to pay $100 or $200 for stolen credit card, I am sure lots of people would think of carrying credit card always (or having a credit card at all).
 
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gettingclosernow said:
I find the discussion humorous and the ferver funny.

Just out of curiousity, how long have you been in the US and how many times have you had an immigration officer ask you for anything (obviously this does not include going to their offices)

I've been here 5 1/2 yrs and apart from international travel, I've never had to produce anything and I don't know how many times I've passed through San Onofre (southern Cali - illegal Mexican checkpoint) and have never been asked about anything.
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Here just two recent threads where someone shared his/her experience.
http://boards.immigration.com/showthread.php?t=142062
http://boards.immigration.com/showthread.php?t=146910
If you search, if you will find some more threads where people had some real experiences.

Recently, one of my ex-colleagues who is now working at NY was stopped when he was driving thru one of the tunnels (don't remember which one) and asked for his passport (in addition to checking DL, card registration, insurance). When he asked officer asked why he need to show his passport/green card, the officer replied "you know, the situation changed after september 9/11". The good news is that officer did not trouble farther.
 
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JoeF said:
$50 for unauthorized use of creditcards. With a bunch of them in your wallet (I have 6 of them in my wallet right now), that adds up.
And, you probably have a debit card in your wallet as well. Any thief can empty your bank account with that, and there is no limit on that (not many people know that, although it is spelled out in the agreements you sign...)
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Carrying 6 cards or even 60 cards, I think that depends on the individual's choice (normally you don't need more than 2 cards to carry, well another AmEx if you go to Costco). Nowadays for most of the new cards fee for unauthorized cards are gone and covers all the amounts for unathurized transactions too (probably that is one of the reason people have and carry too many cards).
So, eventually it comes down to each individual's choice of reducing the cost of a stolen wallet. That's the very reason someone is NOT going to carry GC in their wallet and someone else is going to carry GC + $5000 cash in their wallet while walking on NY street. And, both of them have valid reasons.
 
JoeF said:
You didn't address the issue of ATM/Debit card. You won't get unauthorized deductions from your checking account back...
So, carrying an ATM/Debit card means essentially carrying your account balance with you. Carrying the GC is much less risk...
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:D :D Do I have to address that!!!! There is PIN number without that cash cannot be taken accessed (except the $20 cash back in grocery stores). For debit transactions (without using PIN on "check/debit cards" with master/visa sign), all the big banks I am aware of provide zero liability on unauthroized transactions. However, point to note that, most of the banks provide "debit/check card" by default when someone opens account (probably their business deal with visa and mastercard). I cannot talk about other banks, in Washington Mutual he/she defintely can refuse it and get just a pure ATM card (without visa/master sign). I myself don't carry any debit card with master/visa sign.
 
Is it just me or has this discussion spiralled to the point of absurd ridiculousness?

As I said earlier, I've been here 5 1/2 years and have never been stopped and asked to produce anything.

I am sure in the rare circumstance, (I have higher odds of winning the lottery), that I do get stopped, I am sure that I will be granted reasonable time to produce said card if explained it is in safe keeping...along with my social security card and passport which I never carry with me anywhere.

Let common sense prevail!
 
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JoeF said:
Hmm, the law says that you have to carry it with you. INA 264(e):
"(e) 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)."
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Thought I would quote this, notice that everyone infers this quote to the green card. I see the words "...any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt..."

So..... how many of you who insist that we should physically carry the green card actually carried with you at all times your H1B, your I-140 and your I-485? Or your I-94 card? Surely you always carried your passport with you to show your entry card?

Hmmmmmm .... of course not, neither do you need to carry your green card you just need access to it.
 
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pralay said:
I think the document in USCIS website does not deal with INA 264 at all. It just talks about and from a perspective of immigration related issue (and that's why it says only "immigration officer", not any other kind of law enforcement agency). But there are lots of experiences (including forum members) where non-immigration officers (not-a-immigration officer) asked for citizenship status.
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Yes there has been lots of exp with non-imm. officers querying about the imm. documents. The knowledgeble one's will also say that they are not supposed to and might get a immi. official later on.
 
JoeF, you didn't answer the question, have you always carried your passport with you wherever you go since you've been here?

No doubt the law has a statement regarding carrying identification.

I think the mistake that is being made is people are putting forward their intepretation of the law as the official interpretation. Quite clearly on USCIS site they have made an interpretation of the law which states to have access.

IMHO this thread serves little purpose. Everyone can state their opinion, but at the end of the day it is that, your opinion, just as mine is. What is the saying? Opinions are like assholes...everyone has one...

Again IMHO this thread creates needless concern and hype over nothing...i.e. looking for demons that aren't there
 
gettingclosernow said:
JoeF, you didn't answer the question, have you always carried your passport with you wherever you go since you've been here?
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Actually you never need to carry passport. Passport and visa is required and meaningful only at POE. After that, while staying in USA, I-94 is the only document you need to show your status.
 
gettingclosernow said:
Is it just me or has this discussion spiralled to the point of absurd ridiculousness?

As I said earlier, I've been here 5 1/2 years and have never been stopped and asked to produce anything.

I am sure in the rare circumstance, (I have higher odds of winning the lottery), that I do get stopped, I am sure that I will be granted reasonable time to produce said card if explained it is in safe keeping...along with my social security card and passport which I never carry with me anywhere.

Let common sense prevail!
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gettingclosernow, do you ever buckle up while driving? Do you put yout child in child-seat (and not in front seat)? Isn't it so ridiculous people talk about safety? I am driving last 11 years and never had any accident.

Let common sense prevail! :D :D
 
My company also advised us of this matter. They asked that we all give them a photocopy of the I-94 for their files (in case our workplace was raided – no joke – we would show impeccable records). I did not want to carry my original I-94, so I kept a photocopy in my car’s glove compartment. I do the same with the PR card. If you want to be ultra-safe, you can always carry the card with you. In some parts of the country (happened in Texas; people from CA can also enlighten us) CIS had roadblocks and would check IDs. Even many native born Latinos were caught in the sweep and were asked for documentation. They of course could show driver’s license . In that case if a PR were questioned, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have proof of legal status.

The closest border for me is Canada (just under 400 miles) so the issue is not of a concern..

Rgds,
sadiq
 
I just received the physical card and in the mailer, it clearly mentions "Carry your card at all times within the United States" and use it while returning back to the United Staes.
 
JoeF said:
Ignore immg-jock aka immg-jck aka dsfgh100, shantanu in different incarnations, notxer, gclookup, chigfu and others who try to disrupt this board.
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Warning : Remove my name from your signature.
Failure to do so will result nessasary action provided by the LAW.
:D :D :D
 
JoeF said:
Ignore immg-jock aka immg-jck aka dsfgh100, shantanu in different incarnations, notxer, gclookup, chigfu and others who try to disrupt this board.
Click to expand...

More Warning : Remove my name from your signature.
Failure to do so will result nessasary action provided by the LAW.

:D :D :D
 
JoeF said:
I fully agree. If I had been in that situation, I would have pointed that out...
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In traffic courts, it happens a lot that because court schedule is too busy
so the judge suddenly make an accnouncement:"I'll dismiss the cases for Everyone here charged with speeding as long as you pay teh fine".
It happened to me once. I even did not know what was my plea
after paying the fine. Only after the INS changed N-400 which now
requires disclosing traffic violation did I manage to get a copy
of my case. I found that my plea was no contest and the case
was dismissed.

The same thing might occurred to the lady in that story too
though I am not sure it was so dramatic that all it involved
was in that building.


Still too bad I heard that for immigration purpose, conviction is defined
as conviction, plea guilty or plea no contest without actual conviction.

The weird thing is about plea no contest. It is just like plea guilty
but it can not be used for other purpose but immigration
is for other purpose.
 
AmericanWannabe said:
But the laws say the fine will imposed upon conviction.
A conviction can only be made in courts. How come
the INS can make the lady pay the fine without
a conviction?
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because she did not contest it. If she decided to go to court, she could go (she would have fined in court anyway).
Similar example is parking ticket. Parking ticket is issued by city office or any local authority - without involving local court that covers that jurisdiction.
 
pralay said:
because she did not contest it. If she decided to go to court, she could go (she would have fined in court anyway).
Similar example is parking ticket. Parking ticket is issued by city office or any local authority - without involving local court that covers that jurisdiction.
Click to expand...

If you pay the fine without some deal, you are automatically
convicted. At least that is the case of a speeding ticket.

Even in case of a traffic ticket, you get a citation ticket
first and then pick one option listed on the ticket. One
option is of course just pay the fine by mail
and that means a guilty plea and lead to a conviction
record. But have you heard of anyone pulled over
by a cop for speeding, then cop said "Pay the fine
for spedding now or I'll arres you for reckless driving"?

That story that alledgedly happened in the CIS bulding
seems like everything had progressed verbally - THE
CIS officer just told the woman verbally to pay the
fine or face arrest and the woman paid the fine (what
if she had not have teh money with her? No law
says alien must also carry at least $ 100 to cover
INA264 violation). It does not sound like a "due process"
to me.

Parking ticket is different because the rule is usually county
issued ordinance so that it is not very formal. But
INA264 is a federal law.
 
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