Travel with valid AP and future renewal

T

texasgc100

New Member
We would like to travel out of the country end of Jan and return around May/June. However our current AP is valid only till March 9, 2005.

Can we apply for an AP now and then have the actual renewed AP sent over when we are abroad? Or does the renewal have to be approved before one leaves the US? We didn't apply for the AP renewal as it seemed like we are close to getting the final green card (we got fingerprinted in mid-Nov at TSC). Currently its taking about 2 months for AP in TSC as per the website and if we apply now we may not get the renewal before Jan 31. We were hoping the green card would be approved before then (as of late I have heard about green card being approved within a few weeks of fingerprinting in TSC).

Please advise on best plan here.

Thanks!
 
What you propose is not allowed, and there is a good chance that you would be picked up for it. Worst case, they could consider your GC application to have been abandoned. I would file for an AP renewal now and wait until you get it before traveling. Alternatively, you travel on the current AP but return before it expires.
 
I am on a similar situation...I will be travelling to India my home country next week for work and returning in June 2005. However my current EAD / AP expires in April 2005. I have filed for my EAD / AP renewal and according to my General Counsel and another lawyer, since I will be travelling for work...I don't have to return back to US before my current EAD expires...they can simply mail my approval notice / extension to me in India. According to them I should not have any issues getting back into the country. They are also giving a letter to me to carry incase something funky happens...not sure about the contents of the letter (will receive it in a few days)...but it will mention the fact that I am travelling on work.

Hope this helps.
 
desi929

I'm sure there won't be a problem with your EAD provided the new one is approved before the old one expires. However, bridging a trip using two separate APs is against the rules regardless of the purpose of the trip.
 
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