Traveling with greencard

[Kristal 0]

Hi guys! I have had my permanent residence card (greencard) for almost three years and never left the US yet. I plan on traveling to a different country next month and wanted to know what was the procedure when returning to US with greencard? I plan on traveling with 4 year old US citizen daughter

[Pitaya 2,576]

~Moved from Moving to the US and Your New Life in America to Working and Traveling During US Immigration Forum~

~Inquiry about GC travel~

[dalidali 0]

Hi guys! I have had my permanent residence card (greencard) for almost three years and never left the US yet. I plan on traveling to a different country next month and wanted to know what was the procedure when returning to US with greencard? I plan on traveling with 4 year old US citizen daughter

No problem...and no special procedures.

http://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/international-travel-permanent-resident

Edited August 13, 2014 by dalidali

[VFittipaldi 30]

Coming back to the US you just show them your Green Card. (I showed them my green card and my travel passport and he stamped my passport)

On the plain you will fill out a declaration form of what you are bringing.

Officer in the airport while entering US asked me:

Where were you?

What do you call home?

What is your home address?

These questions were asked on the american border then. No problem or hassle.

When my sister traveled with her US citizen son she went straight into the "US Citizens" line and got checked in there even thought she is a green card holder.

Please make sure if you have a lay over in some country that they do not require you to have a "transit visa" even if you are not leaving the airport. Some countries require you to have one.

Have a safe trip.

Edited August 13, 2014 by VFittipaldi

[rjm_cmyk 75]

I used it for the first time yesterday. I was flying back from the UK via Canada (Vancouver).

The process is as follows at Vancouver.

1. Make all US transit passenger queue until they think they are going to miss their connection
2. Pull them out of line based on flight numbers and make them join another queue but don't tell them what they are queuing for
3. Eventually tell them they have go through US security and customs
4. Make them wait foreveeeerrrrrr as they've only opened one line
5. When people get really agitated pull them out of that line and "rush" them through the x-ray bit
6. Send them somewhere else so they can scan your boarding pass for no apparent reason.
7. Send them round the corner where you will join another queue for US immigration

Did I mention the point where they ask internal Canadian passengers to "merge" with the front of the verrrryyyyy long queue we were in . I'm surprised there wasn't a riot. Certainly no employees dared show their face.

At which point it becomes easy. You just show them your passport and green card. You get finger printed and photoed and that's it. No questions at all. For my first time it was trouble free.

<Get's off high horse and yes it was very stressful after a long haul flight :-) >

[VFittipaldi 30]

I used it for the first time yesterday. I was flying back from the UK via Canada (Vancouver).

The process is as follows at Vancouver.

1. Make all US transit passenger queue until they think they are going to miss their connection
2. Pull them out of line based on flight numbers and make them join another queue but don't tell them what they are queuing for
3. Eventually tell them they have go through US security and customs
4. Make them wait foreveeeerrrrrr as they've only opened one line
5. When people get really agitated pull them out of that line and "rush" them through the x-ray bit
6. Send them somewhere else so they can scan your boarding pass for no apparent reason.
7. Send them round the corner where you will join another queue for US immigration

Did I mention the point where they ask internal Canadian passengers to "merge" with the front of the verrrryyyyy long queue we were in . I'm surprised there wasn't a riot. Certainly no employees dared show their face.

At which point it becomes easy. You just show them your passport and green card. You get finger printed and photoed and that's it. No questions at all. For my first time it was trouble free.

<Get's off high horse and yes it was very stressful after a long haul flight :-) >

I feel your pain. The last time i flew i also took the rout of Vancouver(YVR) to PDX. It was horrible. I said i would never ever ever again fly via Canada like that. First off they make you get your luggage and than check it in again. What???? that was a nice surprise. Than you have to fill out TWO declaration forms. Also Canada does Not allow transit via their airport without a visa unless you are their citizen or green card holder or US citizen. That was not a fun experience for sure. Would never fly via Canada again. However if your stop before US is somewhere else i do not think it would be a bad experience.

[rjm_cmyk 75]

It wasn't much better going out although my bags were checked through. I flew from San Fran to Vancouver on AC Rouge connecting with a flight to London on AC.

Arriving at Vancouver I searched for a transit area. Found one person at a small desk. Scribbled something on my card and muttered something about joining the crew line for immigration. I did so to the surprise of the guy on that queue who asked who sent me there. I then went through what I think was the customs line (sans bags of course). The guy there sent me to another area which frankly looked like the area they queued the drug smugglers. Someone there glanced at my card , sent me to another door where I found myself dumped landside. Unable to find any international departure gates apart from the US ones when I finally found someone from CA they said go through small gate area "over there" and I found myself airside again. Bizarre - good job I had a few hours to waste.

Really crazy "system" - makes the USCIS systems look state of the art.

P.S The other gem - when I questioned a member of staff about the chaotic situation on the way back I was told it was because one busy flight had come in. My suggestion that perhaps this happened every day that flight came in was ignored.

Edited August 13, 2014 by rjm_cmyk