Has anyone been stopped and asked to see their Green Card?
#46
Re: Has anyone been stopped and asked to see their Green Card?
Most members of this forum have had to prove ID dozens of times, so it can be hard to understand the obstacles others are stuck with.
#47
Cornish Pasty Lover
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: Atlanta Y'all
Posts: 93
Re: Has anyone been stopped and asked to see their Green Card?
Yup, when I was naturalized and applied for the US Passport and I paid the extra $30 for the card at the same time. I carry that in a separate wallet to my GA DL as well. I did it to stop zealous cops in boondock counties if needs be. Never needed it yet! I used to carry a photocopy of my GC when I had that.
#48
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Re: Has anyone been stopped and asked to see their Green Card?
When you naturalize, you're supposed to contact Social Security to get your SSN updated to show you're a citizen. I'm not brown enough to have my citizenship questioned but I wonder if a quick check of the SSN would be enough to confirm status so you wouldn't have to carry your passport, or the card around all the time.
#49
Re: Has anyone been stopped and asked to see their Green Card?
I keep getting stopped and asked where in Ireland I'm from.
The looks on their faces when I tell them I've never been there...
The looks on their faces when I tell them I've never been there...
#51
Re: Has anyone been stopped and asked to see their Green Card?
Yes but I'm not Irish.
Sense of humour bypass?
Sense of humour bypass?
#52
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Joined: Sep 2010
Location: Maryland (via Belfast, Manchester, Toronto and London)
Posts: 4,802
Re: Has anyone been stopped and asked to see their Green Card?
It's more likely to happen in the states bordering Mexico and Canada. My neighbor, a US citizen, was stopped a few months ago in Vermont. He was asked for proof of US citizenship but didn't have his passport with him as he hadn't been out of the country on the trip. I think he said he had to bring it into a police station later.
#53
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Re: Has anyone been stopped and asked to see their Green Card?
Although often accepted as proof of US citizenship, a US birth cert is not actually definitive proof of US citizenship. Children born in the US of foreign diplomats can get US birth certs but they are not entitled to US citizenship. The best way to prove US citizenship is with a US passport (book or card).
#54
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Re: Has anyone been stopped and asked to see their Green Card?
Having recently just got mine, in my letter it said to carry it with me at all times, which is further backed up on https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/aft...n-card-granted
I keep mine with me in my wallet.
I keep mine with me in my wallet.
#55
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Re: Has anyone been stopped and asked to see their Green Card?
When you naturalize, you're supposed to contact Social Security to get your SSN updated to show you're a citizen. I'm not brown enough to have my citizenship questioned but I wonder if a quick check of the SSN would be enough to confirm status so you wouldn't have to carry your passport, or the card around all the time.
You make a good point. It's very important to contact the SSA and have your immigration status updated when you become a US citizen. Their records are used by the Dept of Education to verify citizenship. My daughter's federal student loan application was delayed because they could not verify her claim that she was a US citizen. We had to go into the local SSA office with our US passports to have our records updated.
#56
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Re: Has anyone been stopped and asked to see their Green Card?
Yes - and it's cheap and easy to carry. But it can be used to travel internationally at land and sea ports of entry to/from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and The Caribbean. It can be used as ID on domestic flights - but not on international flights.
#57
Re: Has anyone been stopped and asked to see their Green Card?
Not on its own - you'd still need a photo ID. And who wants to carry their SSN card around anyway? A US passport card is cheap and easy to carry.
You make a good point. It's very important to contact the SSA and have your immigration status updated when you become a US citizen. Their records are used by the Dept of Education to verify citizenship. My daughter's federal student loan application was delayed because they could not verify her claim that she was a US citizen. We had to go into the local SSA office with our US passports to have our records updated.
You make a good point. It's very important to contact the SSA and have your immigration status updated when you become a US citizen. Their records are used by the Dept of Education to verify citizenship. My daughter's federal student loan application was delayed because they could not verify her claim that she was a US citizen. We had to go into the local SSA office with our US passports to have our records updated.
#58
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
Re: Has anyone been stopped and asked to see their Green Card?
I never thought to get a passport card to be honest. Last time we flew domestic, I just used my driver's licence as ID for the flight.
You make a good point. It's very important to contact the SSA and have your immigration status updated when you become a US citizen. Their records are used by the Dept of Education to verify citizenship. My daughter's federal student loan application was delayed because they could not verify her claim that she was a US citizen. We had to go into the local SSA office with our US passports to have our records updated.
#59
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Re: Has anyone been stopped and asked to see their Green Card?
No - you need to take your passport into a SSA office and have them update your record. I became a US citizen in 2006. They probably told me about the need to update the SSA but it must have gone in one ear and out the other. It wasn't until 2011 when my daughter was applying for a federal student loan that I discovered that the SSA record needed to be updated because it was used by the Dept of Education to verify immigration status. After updating our records, the SSA system automatically sent out new SSN cards - same numbers but with a new date printed on the front.
Last edited by MarylandNed; Dec 21st 2018 at 2:19 pm.
#60
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Re: Has anyone been stopped and asked to see their Green Card?
No - you need to take your passport into a SSA office and have them update your record. I became a US citizen in 2006. They probably told me about the need to update the SSA but it must have gone in one ear and out the other. It wasn't until 2011 when my daughter was applying for a federal student loan that I discovered that the SSA record needed to be updated because it was used by the Dept of Education to verify immigration status. After updating our records, the SSA system automatically sent out new SSN cards - same numbers but with a new date printed on the front.
This is something we never did do, didn't even realize we had to. In 1998 we had our ceremony in the Federal building in New Orleans then went up a few floors to apply for our US passports. When our passports came through we each took them to the HR department at our employer and had them change our status in their records. Maybe the SS Administration were informed through that route. I still have my original SS card. My wife and childrens' SS cards were re-issued in 1992 when we got our Green Cards as they had been stamped "Not Eligible For Work", but we never did receive new cards after becoming citizens.