Green card holder who gave birth in the UK
Nov 6th 2016, 12:04 pm
#16
Joined: Feb 2012
Location: Not in Paris
Posts: 18,194
Re: Green card holder who gave birth in the UK
Thank you everybody for providing the information above. This is one of the few posts we found on the internet specifically pertaining to children of green card holders born abroad.
We are French citizens and could only get confusing answers from the embassy in Paris. But we had read the posts above as well as information from the USCIS website. Our baby was born in France while we were abroad (we are green card holders).
We took an Air France flight to the US. The check-in staff called the US marshal stationed at the airport to confirm that we could board the flight. He was aware that an ESTA was not needed and the baby would be processed in the US. Unfortunately the check-in computer system does not allow boarding without an ESTA or a visa number. He immediately called DC who advised him to key in a reference number instead (that he made up on the spot and kept in his records) so that the boarding pass could be printed. All in all it took us a good 3 hours to get through check in... so be there in advance.
Once in the US. Going through immigration was a formality. USCIS officers only needed a birth certificate in English, passport and photos. Have some US photos handy as you don't want to wake up baby after an intercontinental flight. It took about an hour for the NA3 baby visa to be issued.
To summarise:
1. your baby does not need an ESTA, but you do need the original birth certificate in English (the EU multi lingual certificate is fine, otherwise you will need a translation from a certified translator)
2. your baby will be "processed" at the port of entry in the US for an NA3 visa (as a so called "NA3 baby").
3. your baby's passport will be stamped upon entry and the green card itself will be mailed later
Hope this helps other parents. Congratulations on your baby!
We are French citizens and could only get confusing answers from the embassy in Paris. But we had read the posts above as well as information from the USCIS website. Our baby was born in France while we were abroad (we are green card holders).
We took an Air France flight to the US. The check-in staff called the US marshal stationed at the airport to confirm that we could board the flight. He was aware that an ESTA was not needed and the baby would be processed in the US. Unfortunately the check-in computer system does not allow boarding without an ESTA or a visa number. He immediately called DC who advised him to key in a reference number instead (that he made up on the spot and kept in his records) so that the boarding pass could be printed. All in all it took us a good 3 hours to get through check in... so be there in advance.
Once in the US. Going through immigration was a formality. USCIS officers only needed a birth certificate in English, passport and photos. Have some US photos handy as you don't want to wake up baby after an intercontinental flight. It took about an hour for the NA3 baby visa to be issued.
To summarise:
1. your baby does not need an ESTA, but you do need the original birth certificate in English (the EU multi lingual certificate is fine, otherwise you will need a translation from a certified translator)
2. your baby will be "processed" at the port of entry in the US for an NA3 visa (as a so called "NA3 baby").
3. your baby's passport will be stamped upon entry and the green card itself will be mailed later
Hope this helps other parents. Congratulations on your baby!
