Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

Howdy all! If you received your advanced parole card / Combo card recently could you let me know how long it took to receive the physical combo card in the mail after you got the approval notification letter?

We are changing status from temp TN visa to perm resident (E-3) and received electronic notification earlier this month that I-131(travel document) and I-765 (Employment Authorisation) applications have been approved via the USCIS online status site, but we have not received the physical "combo card"s yet. Wife and kids are taking offspring #1 up to Canada to start college this weekend, and will need the I-512 endorsed employment card to get back into the States once their quarantine and visit north of the border are done. I'm getting a bit anxious, I thought they would be here by now. Worst case I guess I'll just have to courier them once they get here, but it would be nice to know what to expect of processing times.

Weird thing was we were approved without having done biometrics yet as they were postponed due to Covid two days before our appointment.

Cheers

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

I'd be very surprised if it takes less than 90 days, and not at all surprised if it took 6 months.

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

Thats not good. Why so long do you think? Its already approved, I'm just waiting for them to make and send the cards. In another forum a Russian guy said he got his physical card 17 days after the approval notice was sent.

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

Excuse me, if I got this incorrect but if your I-485 has been approved and you and your Mrs. and kids are now permanent residents, why would you be receiving an EAD/AP card? They would be invalid if you are a PR. You should be receiving the actual green cards in the mails and yes, they do take up to 90 days (or longer) to be received. If you have the approval in hand for the I-485, then perhaps you can see about making an appointment at a service center to get the I-551 stamp in each of your passports. This is the paper version of the green card and is normally good for one year.

P.S. We are in COVID-19 meltdown and the timelines of others unless it is a timeline for the last month has little to do with what the timeline is at present.

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

Sorry Rete, my bad. Approval Notifications were for I-131 and I-765. I-485 is still pending. I've edited the original post to fix it...

I'm hoping to stumble upon a recent recipient who would also be in the "post Covid" timeframe.

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

I received ours about 2-3 weeks after the notification of Approval. Also had similar, sort of with Biometrics. I say sort of because we had gone to have them done before Covid kicked off, never heard anything after until they sent the notification that we wouldn't need to go for a Biometrics appointment as they'll be using ones stored on file. Very odd. I did have a suspicion that mine were not going to be accepted and I'd have to go back again, but all of us got the same receipt. Keeps someone in a job I suppose, creating and printing paperwork.

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

It is not recommended to leave the USA before having AP in hand, because if the date on the AP turns out to be later than the date you left the USA, it is useless, and you will have abandoned the AOS process by leaving the USA without a valid AP.

Personally I wouldn't risk it.

Rene

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

With so many people expediting it is inevitable that regular processing will take longer, last I saw 5 to 7 months would be normal.

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

Iaink - have you seen a notification on USCIS that says "New Card Is Being Produced" ?

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

No, only that the 131 and 765 applications have been approved..."On July 8, 2020, we approved your Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, Receipt Number MSC...." etc

Are they definitely updating the online portal when the card is ordered?....

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

Thanks, did you notice if the Online Status changed between approval notice and the cards arriving?

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

Sorry, didn't check - I just assume everything takes month by now. Admin seems to be a USA specialty.

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

No kidding, Reams of paper wasted on this so far between the 485 forms and the medical questionnaire. And they have changed the forms mid application so much of it sent more than once now. Plus one letter from USCIS per person per form, so for us 12 letters at a time where one would do. Still, keeps the bureaucrats off the streets I suppose.

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

a month... that would be fast... I sent a request to the IRS in late Feb for some pretty vanilla form 6166’s. Then after months of the phones saying “there was an error” I got though last week to be told the office had been shut since late March ... I was told they had been printed but were left in the mail out tray... they arrived Monday via USPS dated March 27th...

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

I'm pretty sure robtuck meant to say "months".

Rene

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

While you are applying as a family for adjustment of status, each application, supportive documentation and auxiliary document/application is actually an individual application and oft times with family adjustments not all members will receive notifications, approvals or cards at the same time.

I still have the binders I setup for hubby's K-1 visa, adjustment of status, employment authorization, advance parole, (EAD and AP were not part of the AOS process back them but separate with separate fees) removal of conditions and ultimate naturalization. Each binder was a godsend as it simplified having to remember what was sent at the time of applying. Also simplified where the Canadian divorce papers were, the American divorce decree, German birth certificate and Department of State Birth Borne Abroad documents are. Hubby has been a US Citizen now for over 15 years but still have the binders. Never know when or if I will need something at the time of his demise in the future and I have to return his body to Greenwood, NS for burial.

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

I don't know if this is wholly relevant but an ordinary EAD without AP, so not the combo card, arrived about 3 weeks after receiving notification of I-787 approval, between June and July of this year.

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

I did indeed, thank you. My quest for efficiency has unintended consequences!

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

Not sure what you mean re 'combo' but I had my approval notice in late March where we were just going into lockdown and then got the EAD card two weeks after the notice. Processing center was Vermont I think. Although the whole wait from application to approval notice was 4.5 months.
Hope it arrives soon!

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

Como is when one card covers both AP and EAD.

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

We received our AP/EAD cards about 2 or 3 weeks after notification of approval. This was May, so well into our new covid world.

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

We got our combos in April.

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

Thanks everyone. I'm still waiting. They are up in Canada in quarantine still, but I hope they arrive soon! No change in the online status, still just says approved, nothing about cards being made or anything like that.

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

What will you do if the date on the AP is after the date they left the USA?

Rene

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

Is there any reason to think it would be anything other than the July 8th date on the electronic notification of approval?

Just found a bit on the USCIS site that says NOTE: Do not submit a request if you have just recently been approved, allow approximately 120 days to receive your new card.

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

No particular reason, just thinking of worst case scenario. Better to be prepared, just in case. We have always advised not to leave the USA until you have the AP in hand, just in case.

Rene

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

Unfortunately that was not an option, life had been on hold for too long already, and Thing 1 needed to be delivered to college by a particular date with all her cr....stuff with her:(

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

Let me try to close the loop on this. Unfortunately, and this is important to know, USCIS WILL NOT SEND the AP/EAD combo card until AFTER you have attended biometrics. (wish my lawyers had known this titbit)
In my case the timeline was Early July "approval" notice, Late August Biometrics appointment, card issued the next day and received a week or two later.

Meanwhile my oldest daughter was safely delivered to RMC Canada in Kingston by my wife, having also received "approval" notices in July. Of course, the biometrics appointments arrive for my wife and other child after they left the country, so these had to be rescheduled, and in our ignorance we were hoping in vain the combo cards would arrive so they could be sent on to smooth their return to the US. We didnt know any different at that point. FWIW the rescheduled biometrics recently came though for early Nov, so a 2 month delay more or less.

On the plus side they have been enjoying spending time back in Canada, nicer climate, fall colours, less covid insanity, with the unforseen benefit that Covid has allowed them access to canadian healthcare again, which sure beats paying through the nose for US doctors to be A: Expensive, B: Crap and C:Not really interested in curing people so they can continue to milk their cash cow. (I digress...)

As of today they "just" have to get back into the US from Canada without the advanced parole card... more money for i-193 waiver form and hope the border guards are in a good mood and let them in based on their approved status in the system. If that doesn't work its back to Canada for another 14 days quarantine, followed by withdrawing the current application, entering again on their existing "TD" visa, and resubmitting the change of status from scratch.

So if you wouldn't all mind keeping your fingers crossed while they head to the border tomorrow it would be appreciated cos I dont think I can take going back to square one again....

Oh, and yes, the online status reporting still cycles through each step. i765 application received 2/24 , application approved 7/8, fingerprints 8/31, card ordered 8/31, card mailed 9/1.

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

There is automatic visa revalidation if they have been gone for less than 30 days, not sure how it works with a non immigrant visa category. Which also begs the question of entering ona TD with intent to adjust.

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

At least you have your EAD/AP card iaink. Yes - fingers crossed. As i'm sure you know the TN technically doesn't allow for dual intent. I'm guessing by extension this applies to a TD. I think existing TNs and TDs do not have to be 'fresh' applications for those statuses, depending on the border guard. I suppose you would be correct in assuming worst case, the application would to be withdrawn completely and restarted.

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

This is exactly why we always say not to travel until you have AP in hand.

Rene

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

After all that they were admitted back in with i512 parole with minimal fuss, and didnt have to file the I193, so I guess someone at the border was having a blessed day. Its the unpredictability of how things will go that kills me. On this occasion I guess it worked in my favour.Yay

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

Nice!

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

Final loop closure, we now have Green Cards in hand. The end of one journey, the beginning of another.

Re: Anyone recently got their Parole Card (I512/ employment authorization card)?
 

Great news! I know we all relaxed a bit once we had received our actual green cards.