Travel Restrictions for New GC holder

[ketchup dejoras 0]

Hi, I petitioned my fiance via K1 visa and recently got married. She just had her biometrics taken and now just waiting for the next steps. My questions is, as she gets her GC, can she travel outside the US? What are the restrictions? We were planning to visit Philippines for a couple of weeks around the Holidays.

Please help!

Thanks,

Leon

[JeroenAndMichelle 28]

As long as she doesn't leave the country for months after each other, there are no real restrictions. Just make sure she uses both her GC and her passport to get back into the US and everything will be fine

[Krikit 1,163]

CBP FAQ - Permanent Resident Travel

[ryna 132]

No restrictions other than residency requirements needed to maintain that status (as explained in the link above.)

This also answered a question I have always had about what exactly an LPR needs to enter the U.S. According to this, the LPR does NOT need their passport from their country, just the Green Card.

So an LPR receives no 'Admitted' stamp in their passport or on any other document? Nothing? Zip, zero, zilch? Even the USC gets an 'Admitted' stamp in their passport which seems strange to me since a USC would never need to show proof that they entered legally at any point in time whereas an LPR may have to provide this info at some point, for some reason, in the future.

Edited May 31, 2011 by ryna

[Krikit 1,163]

No stamps at the land borders. Stamps by air and sea, though.

[ryna 132]

No stamps at the land borders. Stamps by air and sea, though.

Interesting... Although it makes sense because I could use my passport card (though I never have) for a land crossing and, obviously, there's nothing to stamp with the passport card either. Although, I thought the cards were also acceptable for sea entry within the Caribbean, i.e. cruises... Oh well. I was just curious. All my international travels require the full passport and I only bought the card when I bought the passport because it (the card) was cheaper as a combo and I figured it couldn't hurt to have it.

[Krikit 1,163]

From the Travel.State.Gov FAQ:

"The passport card was designed for the specific needs of northern and southern U.S. border communities with residents that cross the border frequently by land. The passport book is the only document approved for international travel by air."

[ryna 132]

From the Travel.State.Gov FAQ:

"The passport card was designed for the specific needs of northern and southern U.S. border communities with residents that cross the border frequently by land. The passport book is the only document approved for international travel by air."

Also from that site:

"The passport card is the wallet-size travel document that can only be used to re-enter the United States at land border-crossings and sea ports-of-entry from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda."

So, sea entries are included from these locations as well. I was just curious as I always fly and had forgotten exactly when the card could be used. To be honest, I had forgotten about the card altogether until now and the stamp-less land crossing was mentioned.

[Krikit 1,163]

That's good to know. I know that when I got the ferry from Victoria, BC to Port Angeles, WA, that my passport was stamped, and the same when I arrived from a cruise in Ft Lauderdale, FL, so I just assumed you couldn't use them.