Jana

Can you apply for advance parole (and get approved) if you are just going to visit family for Christmas?

My husband and I want to go to Canada to visit his family over Christmas. The Advance Parole forms states:

"Advance parole is an extraordinary measure used sparingly
to bring an otherwise inadmissible alien to the United States
for a temporary period of time due to a compelling
emergency."

Should I apply or is it a waste of $165 if I am going to get denied.

Jana

ian-mstm

You likely won't be denied so go ahead an apply. Do it *now* as there is a backlog and there's no guarantee that it'll arrive prior to the holidays. Be sure to indicate that it's for multiple re-entries.

Ian

Jana

Should I put "visit family" as the reason?

Rete

Yes! But it is taking 3 to 9 months to get so be prepared not to have it in time for Xmas.

Jana

Sigh! Thanks for the heads up...What happened to 30 days

It's going to break my husband's heart.

ian-mstm

I notice he applied for AOS in 7/03 - why didn't he apply for AP at the same time? Just curious.

I also notice that he crossed at Alexandria Bay. Is he from the Kingston/Ottawa area? I lived in Kingston for 13 years before I moved to Halifax.

Ian

Hypertweeky

Never believe their estimate timelines!, Sorry Jana!!
((Jana)) Huggie for ya!!

JohnCindy

I would apply Jana. We put on ours to see his children still in the UK. Like the Mastercard commercial says.......... AP $165.......... trip home.......... priceless
Cindy

lellis

But it is taking 3 to 9 months to get so be prepared not to have it in time for Xmas.



Not true of all service centers, Baltimore are still doing 'walk ins' you can not apply until 30 days before you go and they mail it to you in 5 days.
Check your local office filing procedures.

Rete

Baltimore is not a service center. It is a district office.

The rest of the country (Maryland residents are the only exception) have to file at their local offices and in turn the local office sends it to the National Benefit Center in Missouri.

In all ways USCIS, the NBC is overloaded at present with handlind the initial processing of all marriage-based visas, i.e. I-485 and subsequent derivative benefits such as EAD's and APs for those filers. As a result they are far behind the once 30 to 90 issuance of those last two benefits to qualified fileres.

BTW the OP said she was using the Atlanta office.

Rete

Jana

Hi Ian. At the time we had just finished paying for a wedding and about $500 for his AOS stuff. We didn't expect to go back until this Christmas. At the time, it was taking 30 days to process advance parole. I thought for sure it wouldn't be taking over 3 months and was beginning to prepare it.

I talked to my husband last night and we are hoping that we get it in time, but if not, we are just going to make a trip when it comes in.

Marc lived most his life in Ottawa. He also lived in Montreal for about a year. We had left Montreal and went to visit his parents and brother in Wendover and Ottawa so thats why we crossed at Alexandria Bay.

I looked at processing time in Atlanta and they are processing May applications for I-131's. So that is 2 months behind. How much should I rely on that?

ian-mstm

Ottawa is a pretty city. I generally tried to avoid Montreal whenever possible - the drivers there are the worst in the country, speeders everywhere... and when the weather gets bad, they go faster!


I wouldn't rely on it too much, but when fall rolls around and folks come back from vacation, they may process quicker. I'd still go ahead and send it in. The longer you delay, the lower the chances of getting AP prior to the holidays.

Ian

Kady

Hi:

We applied for my husband's advance parole January 13, 2004 and received it on 2/28. Although we went through the Indianapolis, Indiana sub-office, we didn't expect to receive it so quickly. So you may receive it before the holidays. Good luck. Paid our money for the parole and never used it but we thought it would be better to be safe than sorry since his parents are getting on in their years.

Cheers,
Kady

JohnCindy

Same with us Kady we applied and about two weeks later ours was approved
Cindy

Scout

When did this backlog start? We got ours out of Atlanta last year in about two months. Everytime I turn around the BCIS makes it more difficult and cumbersome. I guess I shouldn't be making plans for a trip to the UK in October just yet huh?

Scout

PS - Hiya Jana :-)