Travelled to Canada after 2 yrs - Experience
Hi All,
First of all thanks to Ray S. and Priya for their help. I picked up Vancouver Airport based on Ray. S post in the forum
Here is the experience:
Travel from Sanfrancisco to YVR (Vancouver)
- I am a Special Registrant with US
- Went to Air Canada checkin counter
- Lady said , she needs my I-94 as I am a special registrant
(surprise to me ! )
- I said I dont wana give and want to use Automatic revalidation,
Airline lady told me to go to INS office and take their advise
- I reported to INS office for EXIT registration . Officer told me to give my I-94 card to Airline before leaving so I gave my I94 to
Air canada
- I was given Custom declaration and SARS form in plane
- After landing at YVR , I went to Resident line
Following questions were asked:
- Landed Immigrant?
Yes
- Are you coming back from USA?
Yes.
- Did you go to any other country ?
No
- Did you buy anything and what are you carrying?
Nothing. Just my laptop
- Did you buy your computer from Canada?
Yes.
- He stamped my custom declaration and asked me to go
ahead
hardly one-min to get cleared. Canadian officer didn't look into passport
- I filed my application next day
While coming back to USA
- A very very big queue at US immigration
- I went to US immigration counter
- I showed him my Advance Parole , officer asked me to go to Secondary inspection to process the parole.
- I told officer , I ALSO HAVE H1B approval and since I came just one day back , I want to use automatic revalidation
- Officer replied . No , You travelled on 512 , can't use your H1
- I didn't understand what exactly he said. But I just proceeded for secondary inspection.
- I gave my AP to secondary inspector and told him , Sir ! I have a question ?
- He said , Yes?
- I showed him my H1B extension approval and requested him to use H1 and automatic revalidation and issue me a new I94 as I have surrendered old one at SFO airport.
- He said, No you have AP , you can't use your H1, we have given you AP to use it as you have a pending 485.
- Another surprise to me!!! (I knew he is incorrect).
- I told him , I am also a NSEER registrant and wanna do my Special registration , as I am obligated to do it volunteerily at every ENTRANCE/EXIT . He said , AP is exempted . I told him but I already have a FIN# and I registeretd already so I am obligated. He called the immmigration supervisor to take his advise. Supervisor came and said , we are now exempting APs and you shouldn't register. He also added , should someone enter on H1 , he should must register on both entry and exit, and only APs, GCs and citizens are exempted.
- Then officer processed my AP and gave me a I94 with one-year validity
- Then officer asked , well I am curious why you want to use your H1 and not AP?? (he was now very polite).
- I told him , Sir , my attorney told me that in case 485 is refused , H1 is always a backup for me .
- He said , why do I feel my 485 will be refused? He said , dont listen to your attorney , attorney wants your money and we want you people.
(Well, i was said . Officer didn't allow me to use 30 days revalidation as my H1 stamp was expired).
- Finally officer told me , if I travel to Canada again. I need to posses a Valid AP and I shouldn't give my I94 to airline or INS in USA when exiting . While going back from Canada , I can just showup my I94 to immigration officer and I need not to go through secondary inspection again.
Auto-matic revalidation didn't work for me.
hope my experience is useful for someone
thx
khi_boy
Hi All,
First of all thanks to Ray S. and Priya for their help. I picked up Vancouver Airport based on Ray. S post in the forum
Here is the experience:
Travel from Sanfrancisco to YVR (Vancouver)
- I am a Special Registrant with US
- Went to Air Canada checkin counter
- Lady said , she needs my I-94 as I am a special registrant
(surprise to me ! )
- I said I dont wana give and want to use Automatic revalidation,
Airline lady told me to go to INS office and take their advise
- I reported to INS office for EXIT registration . Officer told me to give my I-94 card to Airline before leaving so I gave my I94 to
Air canada
- I was given Custom declaration and SARS form in plane
- After landing at YVR , I went to Resident line
Following questions were asked:
- Landed Immigrant?
Yes
- Are you coming back from USA?
Yes.
- Did you go to any other country ?
No
- Did you buy anything and what are you carrying?
Nothing. Just my laptop
- Did you buy your computer from Canada?
Yes.
- He stamped my custom declaration and asked me to go
ahead
hardly one-min to get cleared. Canadian officer didn't look into passport
- I filed my application next day
While coming back to USA
- A very very big queue at US immigration
- I went to US immigration counter
- I showed him my Advance Parole , officer asked me to go to Secondary inspection to process the parole.
- I told officer , I ALSO HAVE H1B approval and since I came just one day back , I want to use automatic revalidation
- Officer replied . No , You travelled on 512 , can't use your H1
- I didn't understand what exactly he said. But I just proceeded for secondary inspection.
- I gave my AP to secondary inspector and told him , Sir ! I have a question ?
- He said , Yes?
- I showed him my H1B extension approval and requested him to use H1 and automatic revalidation and issue me a new I94 as I have surrendered old one at SFO airport.
- He said, No you have AP , you can't use your H1, we have given you AP to use it as you have a pending 485.
- Another surprise to me!!! (I knew he is incorrect).
- I told him , I am also a NSEER registrant and wanna do my Special registration , as I am obligated to do it volunteerily at every ENTRANCE/EXIT . He said , AP is exempted . I told him but I already have a FIN# and I registeretd already so I am obligated. He called the immmigration supervisor to take his advise. Supervisor came and said , we are now exempting APs and you shouldn't register. He also added , should someone enter on H1 , he should must register on both entry and exit, and only APs, GCs and citizens are exempted.
- Then officer processed my AP and gave me a I94 with one-year validity
- Then officer asked , well I am curious why you want to use your H1 and not AP?? (he was now very polite).
- I told him , Sir , my attorney told me that in case 485 is refused , H1 is always a backup for me .
- He said , why do I feel my 485 will be refused? He said , dont listen to your attorney , attorney wants your money and we want you people.
(Well, i was said . Officer didn't allow me to use 30 days revalidation as my H1 stamp was expired).
- Finally officer told me , if I travel to Canada again. I need to posses a Valid AP and I shouldn't give my I94 to airline or INS in USA when exiting . While going back from Canada , I can just showup my I94 to immigration officer and I need not to go through secondary inspection again.
Auto-matic revalidation didn't work for me.
hope my experience is useful for someone
thx
khi_boy