To carry the green card or not?

E

ETA-GC

Registered Users (C)
Are most people planning to carry their green cards with them at all times?

What about your kids?

I'm kinda worried about losing the card if I keep it in my wallet (and I can probably count on the kids losing theirs within a week...). I was thinking of just carrying a photocopy with me although I'm not sure if that would be of much use if I was actually asked for proof of status. I'd keep the physical cards in a safe place at home (except when I travel outside the US in which case I'll bring the green card and my Canadian passport with me).

What are the realistic chances of ever been asked to show the card if detained? In all the time that I've been in the US (either as a resident or as a visitor), nobody has ever asked me to prove my status (apart from lenders, drivers license people or employers etc.). I've been pulled over 4x by the police (1 random DUI check, 2 speeding tickets when I got my first car :)) and this never came up.

And supposing they do ask for proof of status and you don't have it? What's the worst that could happen? I suppose that they could detain you until you can arrange to have someone bring your papers in but if the odds of this happening are 1 in a million, I think I'll take my chances...

Heh -- this one time about 12 years ago, I was pulled over for speeding (barely mind you) in West Virginia. I went to show the officer my license and realized I didn't have my wallet with me -- I'd left it at home and somehow spent 3 days camping without noticing this :eek:. I had no ID, driver's license, registration or insurance. The car (bought in the US) still had Quebec (Canada) tags (license plates) on it and I was living in Pittsburgh, PA and working on a J1 visa. The officer just waved his hands at me in disgust and said "Get outta here!" :D

ETA
 
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DUI eh ETA!! Good to see you back after a long time!!

If it helps, I don't plan to carry the physical cards, I am too scared to loose it. I might make color copies of that and carry it, they can verify the A# if they want. As you mentioned what's the worst that can happen, they might detain you, but you can have someone get the card for you in case of that.

Also my wife's relatives have been here for a long time, they never carried their cards and they are fine, when they carried it to Europe for vacations they lost their cards, it was a hassle after that, I don't know the whole story, I think they got back in with the old stamp on their passport I think.
 
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Hello Jay_T.,

u mean DL --> duplicate?

why do we need gc keep in our wallet until we are not crossing the border?

Good luck all.,

thx
usinsuser99



Jay_T said:
I never carry my GC as I carry my DL always...
Click to expand...
 
usinsuser99 said:
Hello Jay_T.,

u mean DL --> duplicate?
>By DL, he means Driver's licence.
why do we need gc keep in our wallet until we are not crossing the border?
>Because USCIS mentions that you need to carry the GC with you at all times.

Good luck all.,

thx
usinsuser99
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I got my plastic card in last September, but i neither carry my GC nor any photo copy of it. I asked some long time GC holders and none of them carry GC with them. At the worst we might have to spend a few hours in detention (better than staying a few months without GC). If you believe other wise, then please carry GC in your wallet.
The "Life after GC" forum is more appropriate for post GC issues. Here is the link to that forum : http://www.immigrationportal.com/forumdisplay.php?f=118
 
Hey Joyd.,
thanks for ur time.
is it possible keep always.
rellay immigration people playing with us.
practically impossible keep gc for 10 years in wallet
suppose we loss that it will take 1 year to get it.

better we may keep color copy of gc. It some body ask we will explain
about story.

thanks once again
usinsuser99
 
From the horse's mouth

This is from the USCIS site:
===========
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.
===========

http://uscis.gov/graphics/howdoi/PermRes.htm#card
 
usinsuser99,

DL, I mean Driver's License. Thanks, Joyd.

>>From the horse's mouth .....

Well, I will carry only if I travel outside US. I will try to remember my A#, if any one catches me!!! I guess, the Driver's License itself would display if one is temp. Immgn. Status or not.

- Jay
 
joyd said:
DUI eh ETA!!
Click to expand...

Heya joyd.

Ya, I haven't been here that much lately and I guess that now that we have our cards, I might be away for 5 years or so until the citizenship stage (if we're still in the US) :).

Just to clarify, the "DUI" incident was during a Friday night spot check -- they were pulling over dozens of cars randomly. I was pulled over then allowed to leave when the officer confirmed that I was clean.

ETA
 
my wife's card had an error on it (birthdate was wrong). No filing fee if the error is because of USCIS. She filed an I-90 and they let her keep her old card. She has the new card, and her old card. She can probably carry her old card, and keep the new one at home.
 
Does it matter?

My daughter(minor) has a wrong birthyear printed on her card, while all other particulars are fine though. We are planning to travel outside. Does it matter if travel with out recorrecting the birthyear?
Thanks in advance
curiousGeorge said:
my wife's card had an error on it (birthdate was wrong). No filing fee if the error is because of USCIS. She filed an I-90 and they let her keep her old card. She has the new card, and her old card. She can probably carry her old card, and keep the new one at home.
Click to expand...
 
My wife traveled on it without any problems at all. My lawyer told us we would have no problems. The CSR at the 1-800 number said NOT to travel on this card (what do the know anyways, right?). We had the passport stamp and the I-90 receipt notice in case the officer asked, but he didn't even notice the wrong birth date.
 
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