Eiflow

That is correct as long as the Green Card is valid.

Javier Guillen

Hi,

I got my conditional permanent residency about a year and a half ago
(through marriage with a US citizen - we are still in the 2 year conditional
period). I remember that when I first got the green card, my lawyer asked
me if I needed a US re-entry permit (I think it was the 'advanced parole').
In my ignorance, I though it was a good idea and I got that permit.

I remember using the permit when I came back from Spain (a two week work
related trip), about a year ago. At the airport, they only stamped the
paper and that's it.

Now I am planning in having a romantic trip with my wife to Europe, but I
cannot remember where I put those papers (!!).

However, researching the issue in a bunch of websites it looks like I can
travel with no problem, having a conditional permanent residency. I though
that I required that re-entry permission, but I looks like for trips that
will last less than a year, I will have no problem traveling outside the US.
Is this true? So I only need to present my green card at the point of
re-entry, at the airport?

Thanxs for any help!

(If this is true, I'm still kind of upset cuz I think I actually never
needed to get those papers for re-entry... but , oh well... not that I
hurted having them...)

Mrtravel

Javier Guillen wrote:
    >
    > Hi,
    >
    > I got my conditional permanent residency about a year and a half ago
    > (through marriage with a US citizen - we are still in the 2 year conditional
    > period). I remember that when I first got the green card, my lawyer asked
    > me if I needed a US re-entry permit (I think it was the 'advanced parole').
    > In my ignorance, I though it was a good idea and I got that permit.

Was this an immigration lawyer??? God, he was clueless.
Demand he pay you back for what the AP cost, plus what he charged you to
get it.

Mjones

Yo,
Even with a green card, if you are planning on being out of the US for an
extended period of time, you would need a re-entry permit (different term
than "advance parole"). It is a general rule of thumb that Conditional
Permanent Residents obtain one if they might be out of the US for 6 months
or more, and it is a requirement for CPR or PR that you have one if you plan
on being outside the US more than a year.
Short trips don't require it, just re-enter on the green card, as you have
learned.
So don't be too upset about it. Your lawyer may actually have been looking
out for your long term interests.
Mike

"Javier Guillen" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Hi,
    > I got my conditional permanent residency about a year and a half ago
    > (through marriage with a US citizen - we are still in the 2 year
conditional
    > period). I remember that when I first got the green card, my lawyer asked
    > me if I needed a US re-entry permit (I think it was the 'advanced
parole').
    > In my ignorance, I though it was a good idea and I got that permit.

Folinskyinla

Hi:

A "reentry permit" and an "advance parole" are two diffrent things. The I-551 card itself is a "reentry permit" good for one year.

However, there is also a book form of the reentry permit. Many people refer to this as the "White Passport". It is essentially a green card in passport like form.

To confuse matters regarding advance parole -- the application for the "white passport" and advance parole are both made on Form I-131 [which also covers the "Refugee Travel Document" passport like document].

The white passport is generally good for two years or expiry of conditional status, whichever is shorter.

Generally speaking, you can travel on your green card AND your home country passport. However, you don't need the home country passport if you have a reentry permit.

I recommend reentry permits for people who can't get a new passport, or are from a country which charge extraordinary fees for a passport. I also recommend it for people who either don't want to use their home country passport or will have difficulty in getting visas into their home country passport.

Your attorney may have been right on -- or it may have been a waste. But you don't give enough facts for me to judge that.

Folinskyinla

Hi:

Perhaps you are right, but without more facts I would not call that attorney clueless.

The FACTS, my friend, are the "clues" we need. We are ALL "clueless" until we have the relevant facts.