The travel document usually arrives within 150 days (sometimes longer) after submitting your application.
You can't leave the country until you have your approved travel document in hand
, so you should expect to spend the 3–5 months after submitting your green card application in the United States.
Can I travel while waiting for green card interview?
Leaving the U.S. While Waiting for a Green Card.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) does provide that immigrants may travel abroad while waiting on their Green Card
, officially known as a Permanent Resident Card.
Can I travel out of us before receiving the green card?
You can still travel without it
. If you applied for a green card and you were approved, yet you haven't received your document, traveling is possible as you're already a permanent resident. Remember that when you entered the U.S., your passport was stamped by the border officer.
Can I travel after I 485 interview?
You can travel and your pending I485 (with or without Advance parole) will not be abandoned if you have one of these visa types to re-enter the USA: Work visas like H1B and its dependent H4, L-1, and its dependent L2. K-3 spouse or a K-4 child of a US citizen.
Can I travel to India during green card processing?
You cannot travel internationally unless you have received a travel authorization document from USCIS, known as an advance parole document
. You are required to obtain such travel authorization if you seek to re-enter the United States after temporary foreign travel.
Can I travel while my i-131 is pending?
Individuals may travel on the approved advanced parole document, provided the document is valid for the entire duration of the time abroad
. The pending Form I-131 will not be considered abandoned in this situation.
Can I travel while my green card is processing?
You can't leave the country until you have your approved travel document in hand
, so you should expect to spend the 3–5 months after submitting your green card application in the United States. Theoretically, you could be out of the United States for as long as you have a travel document (one year plus renewals).
Can I travel with a copy of my green card?
Evidence of your Lawful Permanent Residence or Conditional Residence (if available).
Examples of acceptable documents include: a copy of your green card, your immigrant visa, I-551 stamp in your passport, or CBP admission stamp in your passport
.
Can I travel 3 months before my green card expires?
US permanent residents are free to travel and return to the United States up until the expiration date on their Green Card
.
Can I stay on green card forever?
Although some Permanent Resident Cards, commonly known as Green Cards, contain no expiration date,
most are valid for 10 years
. If you have been granted conditional permanent resident status, the card is valid for 2 years. It is important to keep your card up-to-date.
How long can I stay outside the US with my green card?
If you are a lawful permanent resident (green card holder), you may leave the U.S. multiple times and reenter, as long as you do not intend to stay outside the U.S. for
1 year or more
. This 1-year rule creates a rebuttable presumption that you intended to abandon your residency.
Can I stay in U.S. while waiting for green card?
Some people can stay in the U.S. for the entire period of applying for a U.S. green card
. Others must leave the U.S., either while they wait for a visa to become available (which can take years in some cases) or in order to attend their immigrant visa interview, which is the last major step in the immigration process.
Can I travel while my I-140 is pending?
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.
Can you travel while waiting for green card renewal?
An expired green card will generally cause a delay, may require the payment of a steep re-entry fee, and can potentially create more significant immigration problems. Even if you start the green card renewal process, it can take 8 to 10 months!
Don't travel abroad with an expired green card
.
Can I travel while my i 90 is pending?
No matter the case, the processing time for an I-90 application is typically 8-10 months, which means, most likely,
the LPR in question will have to postpone international travel until they receive their new green card
.
What happens after the green card interview?
After you complete the interview successfully,
the USCIS officer will start the process of ordering a Green Card for you
. There are certain cases where the USCIS does not require the applicant to appear for an interview. In such cases USCIS will mail the decision to the applicant.
Where can you travel with green card?
- Canada.
- Mexico.
- Costa Rica.
- Georgia.
- The British Virgin Islands.
- Aruba and Curaçao.
- The Balkans.
- Singapore.
Can I fly with a foreign passport or Employment Authorization Document Card? Yes, as noted above, the list of approved identification to fly domestically includes foreign government-issued passports and/or a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766).
Can I travel if 485 pending?
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. The H1B must still be eligible for H status and returning to the previously approved employer.
Can you travel outside US while awaiting 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.
Can I travel outside US while I-130 is pending?
It is absolutely possible for a foreign spouse to visit their partner in the United States while awaiting their green card application
. If you are a foreign spouse, you may apply to enter the United States via a tourist visa if you have a pending I-130 petition, and wish to go back to your home country after the visit.
What is my status while waiting for green card?
Case Status Updates
Go to our Case Status Online page and use your Form I-485 receipt number to look up your case status
. Submit a case inquiry if you think your application is outside of our normal processing times. Call our USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283.
Can I travel with a travel document?
Can I Travel in My Own Country With a Refugee Travel Document?
No, in most cases you are not allowed to travel back to your country of origin after you're granted the status of a refugee
.
Can I fly with my green card within the US?
As the list indicates, the TSA accepts a variety of forms of documentation for domestic flights. Notably for many foreign nationals,
permanent resident cards and employment authorization cards are both acceptable forms of documentation for domestic flights
.