Cutting it close
 

Hi all,

Quick Q - As some of you may know I am here on a L1 visa. My wife and I got married a few months back and are in the AOS process.

Now this is where it gets tricky. We leave for Ireland a week from Monday for a vacation and I intend on handing in my notice in work this Friday. It gives me two weeks work notice (I work a weird schedule). I of course then need to use my AP to go travelling as my L1 will become null and void. I got my an email to say that my AP went into the mail yesterday. No sign of it today and by looking at peoples timelines it appears it can take a few days. I am just worried that it won't be here by Friday and then I will start to panic a little bit!

Any advice out there? How long have people's AP's taken after that the email?

Thanks guys :thumbsup:

Boylerz

Re: Cutting it close
 

I got an email from CRIS saying that my AP was approved on 10th June and I got the hard copy in the mail on 16th June.

Re: Cutting it close
 

You need to start figuring out what you are going to do if it doesn't arrive, which is a distinct possibility.

You can:

a) Print out the email and hope that satisfies the proder control agent on the way back in (I wouldn't bank on it!)

b) Get someone to monitor your snail mail then fedex the AP to you in Ireland

c) Cancel your trip

Re: Cutting it close
 

I think only c) will work for the OP. He definitely needs AP in hand before leaving the USA, so that leaves out b). He can try a) but I can pretty much guarantee without the original AP in hand, he won't be let back in.

Rene

Re: Cutting it close
 

Thanks for the input guys. Defo cannot do option C! I would just stay on at the job for little longer or something.

What I don't understand is that if it went into the mail yesterday surely it should only take 2 or 3 days to arrive? It has 9 business days to arrive. Surely it has to be here by then? Wish they would fedex it!

Boylerz

Re: Cutting it close
 

Why don't you simply delay handing in your notice until after you return?

Ian

Re: Cutting it close
 

Good luck, I hope you get it before your trip. Whatever you do, do NOT leave the USA until you have that original AP in hand. If you leave before that, you'll abandon everything you've done for your AOS, and will have to start over with an Immigrant Visa.

Rene

Re: Cutting it close
 

Good point but I don't have enough vacation and if I did I would not get the time off. Might have the go down the "a relative died route"

Boylerz

Re: Cutting it close
 

Rene,

Do they check for your AP before you leave the States? I would have thought it would just be for when you return at immigration.

Boylerz

Re: Cutting it close
 

It's when you return. But if they see you left the USA before the date on the AP, you're in trouble. There's no way of knowing what date is on the AP until you actually receive it.

Rene

Re: Cutting it close
 

The law says the AP must be in hand before leaving.

The mail notices don't always correspond with actual going-to-the-mailbox with CIS. I don't know what to tell you other than Don't Panic.

Re: Cutting it close
 

The OP said he is leaving a week from Monday...if he's been notified it was mailed yesterday surely he's got a good chance of receiving it before he leaves on the 21st.

Re: Cutting it close
 

They probably mean it went to the printing and mailing area ...
not actually mailed

Re: Cutting it close
 

Hmmmm it does? :eek:

Re: Cutting it close
 

hmmm, reading more closely (but not too close) I see that you must be 'approved' before leaving.
The trick is, knowing exactly when you were approved...

thanks, Rete. :)