Can I Travel Outside The US While Waiting For Green Card?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Can I travel outside the US while waiting for green card?

The travel document allows someone living in the U.S. while awaiting their green card to travel abroad without nullifying their green card application

. For a family-based green card, it takes anywhere from 10 months to several years or more to process a green card.

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Can I travel to US while waiting for green card?


U.S. Citizenship and Services (USCIS) doesn't explicitly forbid green card applicants from traveling while waiting for their adjustment of status application to be processed

.

Can I travel while my green card is being processed?


If you submit the Form I-131 with your green card application and it is approved by the USCIS you are essentially authorized to travel in and out of the US while your green card is being processed

.

What can you do while waiting for green card?

If you applied for or are considering applying for a green card in the U.S, you can also

apply for a work permit

. This will allow your authorization to work legally while your green card application is pending.

Can I travel while my adjustment of status is pending?

If You Travel While Awaiting an Adjustment Interview


You can travel, but must use great care

. If you simply get up and go without getting official permission (called “advance parole,” described below), the law says you will have given up (or abandoned, in USCIS terminology) your adjustment of status application.

How long does it take for green card process?

It takes

7 to 33 months

to process a Green Card application.

The Green Card processing time depends on the type of Green Card you are applying for, the location of the processing office and other factors. Family Preference Green Cards processing takes from 1 to 10 years depending on the wait time and yearly caps.

Can I travel outside the US after Biometrics?

Once you've filed Form I-131 and attended your biometrics appointment,

you're free to travel abroad

. You can indicate on Form I-131 if you'd like USCIS to send your re-entry permit for collection at a U.S. consulate or embassy in the country to which you're traveling.

Can I travel outside the US while waiting for citizenship?


You may travel to another country, including your home country, provided no other legal impediment precludes you from doing so

. However, if a trip lasts longer than 180 days, USCIS may determine that you have not continuously resided in the United States and therefore are ineligible for naturalization.

Is there any way to speed up green card process?


You can generally request expedited processing by calling the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833) or by asking Emma after you have obtained a receipt notice

.

Can I travel while I 485 is pending?

If You Need to Travel

Generally, if you have a pending Form I-485 and you leave the United States without an advance parole document,

you will have abandoned your application

. For further information, see our Travel Documents page.

Can I travel while I 140 is pending?

Hi,

You can travel outside the Country while your I-140 is pending

; as you said, your H1-B visa is valid.

Can I travel out of country after applying 485?

Adjustment applicants who are in valid H-1B status, and their dependents, can travel abroad and reenter the United States in H status while an I-485 is pending, without having to obtain advance parole.

How long does green card process take 2021?

It may take

up to 90 days

from the date you entered to receive your permanent resident card. You entered the U.S. using your immigrant visa, You paid the immigrant visa fee AFTER you entered, It may take up to 90 days from the date you made your payment to receive your permanent resident card.

Why is my green card taking so long?

Warning: The coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in especially long delays in every part of the immigration process, owing to staff shortages, backlogs, and at times, U.S. government office closures to in-person visits.

How long does green card take to arrive after approval?

You can expect to receive your Green Card in the mail about

2 to 3 weeks

after your case is approved. Sometimes, the USCIS officer might have to refer your application to a supervisor for approval. This may delay your green card for up to two weeks. In other cases, they'll send you a Request for Additional Evidence.

How long does it take to get travel document after biometrics 2020?

After your biometrics appointment, your actual reentry permit should be issued within

1 to 3 months

. Total processing time: 2 to 5 months on average.

How long can you be out of the country on a green card?

Generally, you can stay outside the U.S. for

up to one year

. If you have been issued a Re-Entry Permit, which applicants must apply for while in the U.S., you can stay outside the United States as long as your Re-Entry Permit has not expired.

Can you travel after biometrics green card?

Generally,

an applicant for a travel document must also complete biometrics capture at an Application Support Center (ASC) prior to departure from the United States

. Failure to do so may cause the applicant to lose permission to reenter the country and lead to the denial of any other applications pending.

Can you travel outside the US before the oath ceremony?

4 attorney answers

After the interview and before the oath, you will still have your non-US passport and your permanent residency card.

You can travel internationally and return to the USA as a permanent resident with that documentation

. You do not become a US citizen until you swear the oath. Do not miss the ceremony.

Can I travel after submitting my citizenship application?

Travel Abroad After Applying for Citizenship

Submitting Form N-400,

Application for Naturalization will not affect your ability to travel abroad

. Just because you're trying to become a naturalized citizen, it doesn't mean you're not allowed to travel anymore. After all, you are still a permanent resident.

Can a green card holder who's been overseas for 6 months apply for citizenship?

Your travel abroad for work won't impact your naturalization eligibility, so

you can file 3 months before the 5-year mark, so long as you meet the continuous residence requirement and physical residence requirement

.

Why is USCIS taking so long to process 2021?


Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resource constraints resulting from the prior administration

, USCIS inherited a significant number of pending cases and increased processing times.

What is the 90 day rule immigration?

The 90-day rule states that non-immigrant visa holders who marry U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents or apply for adjustment of status within 90 days of arriving in the U.S. are automatically presumed to have misrepresented their original nonimmigrant intentions.

How much money do you need to invest to get a green card?

The standard minimum investment amount has increased to

$1.8 million

(from $1 million) to account for inflation. The minimum investment in a TEA has increased to $900,000 (from $500,000) to account for inflation.

Why is I 485 taking so long?

Allow travel/​work authorization based on I‐485 receipt to free up resources for final green card adjudications. The main issue that USCIS has publicly identified as a cause of the lengthy delays in processing is the

lack of manpower

.

Can I travel outside US after I-140 approval?

If you are living outside the U.S. when your I-140 is approved and your priority date is current,

you and your dependents can apply at a U.S. Department of State consulate abroad for an immigrant visa in order to come to the United States and be admitted as permanent residents

.

How long does it take to get green card after I-140 approval?

If approved, you will receive your green card in the mail

about 30 days after approval

. If USCIS issues an adjustment interview notice, you must appear at the interview at a local USCIS office. The USCIS Officer overseeing will then adjudicate your green card application.

Can you travel after I-140 approval?


You should not travel internationally while the travel document is pending

, or the entire process will be considered abandoned and your adjustment of status denied. After several months of waiting, you should then be scheduled for an interview with a USCIS officer.

Why have I not received my green card after 120 days?

What is the easiest way to get a green card?

The simplest way to get a Green Card is

through the Green Card Lottery

. The U.S. Department of State gives away 55,000 Green Cards through the Diversity Visa Program every year.

How do I know when my green card will arrive?

To track the status of your Green Card, please

go to the Case Status Online page

. We will only mail your Green Card to the U.S. mailing address you give to the Department of State during your immigrant visa interview or to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer when you are admitted to the United States.

How long does it take to get green card after Biometrics 2020?

Can you travel to US while waiting for consular processing?

If you choose to go through consular processing,

it can be difficult to travel to the United States while your application is pending

— even just for a short trip. This is the case even if you already have a valid tourist visa.

Can I travel while I 140 is in process?


Having a 140 does not inhibit you from travel

. It also does not indicate that you intend to immigrate.

Juan Martinez
Author
Juan Martinez
Juan Martinez is a journalism professor and experienced writer. With a passion for communication and education, Juan has taught students from all over the world. He is an expert in language and writing, and has written for various blogs and magazines.